いくつ

• Reading: いくつ
• Romaji: ikutsu
• Pronunciation: /i.kɯ.tsɯ/

Meaning

How many; how old. A question word for quantity and age.

Has two primary uses: asking about quantity (りんごはいくつ = how many apples?) and asking about age (おいくつですか = how old are you?). Uses the native Japanese counting system (つ counter). The kanji form 幾つ is sometimes used. For the age meaning, adding お (おいくつ) makes it polite.

Examples

1. みかんをいくつ買いますか。 How many tangerines are you going to buy?
2. お子さんはおいくつですか。 How old is your child?
3. 部屋にいすがいくつありますか。 How many chairs are in the room?

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, age, counting

Tone: inquisitive

Origin & History

Composed of いく (how many, from 幾) and つ (the native Japanese counter for general objects). 幾 originally depicted tangled threads, representing an uncountable number.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal