幾(いく)つ

いくつ
pronoun
how many; how old
1. how many
Used to ask about quantity, especially for items counted with the general counter つ.
りんごは幾(いく)つありますか。
How many apples are there?
幾(いく)つ欲(ほ)しいですか。
How many do you want?
卵(たまご)は幾(いく)つ買(か)いましたか。
How many eggs did you buy?
部屋(へや)には窓(まど)が幾(いく)つありますか。
How many windows are there in the room?
お菓子(かし)を幾(いく)つか買(か)って帰(かえ)りましょう。
Let's buy some sweets on our way home.
幾つか = some, several
2. how old
Used to ask about someone's age, particularly for children or in casual contexts.
お子(こ)さんは幾(いく)つですか。
How old is your child?
Asking about age
赤(あか)ちゃんは今(いま)幾(いく)つですか。
How old is the baby now?
お幾(いく)つですか。三十五(さんじゅうご)です。
How old are you? I'm thirty-five.
Polite form for adults
弟(おとうと)は幾(いく)つですか。五(いつ)つです。
How old is your younger brother? He's five.
来週(らいしゅう)、幾(いく)つになりますか。六(むっ)つになります。
How old will you be next week? I'll be six.

幾(いく)つ asks about quantity (how many?) or age (how old?). Often written in hiragana as いくつ.

SENSE 1 — QUANTITY:

Corresponds to the counter つ system (一(ひと)つ, 二(ふた)つ, etc.). Used for general counting of items.

  • りんごは幾(いく)つありますか: How many apples are there?

SENSE 2 — AGE:

Commonly used for children. For adults, the polite form お幾(いく)つですか is appropriate.

  • お子(こ)さんは幾(いく)つですか: How old is your child?
  • お幾(いく)つですか: How old are you? (polite, for adults)
  • 何歳(なんさい)ですか: How old are you? (direct alternative)

RELATED FORMS:

  • 幾(いく)つか: some, several
  • 幾(いく)つも: many, numerous
  • 幾(いく)つになっても: no matter how old one gets

Related Words

Contrast: 幾(いく)ら (how much (price))
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:06 · Revised 2026.4.1 8:52
00500/00944_ikutsu