N4 Additional Expressions

[Period]に[Frequency]: meaning, usage and examples

[Period]に[Frequency] means: frequency: 'X times per Y'.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 一週間いっしゅうかんに三回さんかいジムに行いきます。

   I go to the gym three times a week.

2. 一日いちにちに何回なんかい薬くすりを飲のみますか。

   How many times a day do you take medicine?

3. 一いっか月げつに一度いちど、髪かみを切きります。

   I get my hair cut once a month.

4. 一年いちねんに二回にかい、国くにへ帰かえります。

   I go back to my home country twice a year.

When to use it

Shows how often something happens in a period of time: 'X times per Y'. The period comes first, then に, then the number of times: 一日いちにちに三回さんかい 'three times a day', 一年いちねんに一度いちど 'once a year'. Use it for habits, rules and schedules such as medicine, exercise, classes and trips.

Nuance

回かい is the everyday counter; 度ど is a little more formal and most common in 一度いちど. The に is often dropped in short forms such as 週しゅう三回さんかい or 一日いちにち三回さんかい, which you will see on medicine labels and timetables.

Compare

Compare a quantity + で (time taken): 一週間いっしゅうかんに三回さんかい 'three times a week' is a rate, while 一週間いっしゅうかんで読よみました 'I read it in a week' is the time needed. Compare 毎日まいにち / 毎週まいしゅう, which say only that it repeats, not how often within the period.

Tip: The order matches English "per": period + に + times. Ask about frequency with 何なん回かい: 一週間いっしゅうかんに何なん回かいですか.