いくらか
いくらか
adverb
somewhat; some; a little
1.
somewhat; to some extent; a little
Indicates a small or moderate degree or amount.
気分がいくらか良くなった。
I feel somewhat better.
薬を飲んだら、いくらか楽になった。
After taking the medicine, I felt a little more comfortable.
去年に比べて、状況はいくらか改善されたものの、まだ十分とは言えない。
Compared to last year, the situation has improved somewhat, but it still cannot be called sufficient.
2.
some; a certain amount
An unspecified small quantity of something.
いくらかお金が残っている。
There is some money left.
旅行のために、いくらか貯金しておいた。
I saved some money for the trip.
経験がいくらかあれば、応募できます。
If you have some experience, you can apply.
Composed of いくら (how much) + か (question/indefinite marker). As an adverb it means "somewhat" or "to some extent," and as a quantity word it means "some" or "a certain amount." The degree implied is typically small to moderate.
USAGE:
- As a degree adverb (sense 1): modifies adjectives and verbs to mean "somewhat"
- As a quantity word (sense 2): indicates an indefinite but small amount
- More restrained than 少し — implies an even more modest degree
- Can be written as 幾らか in kanji, but kana is standard
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- いくらか楽になる: to become somewhat easier
- いくらか良くなる: to get somewhat better
- いくらかの余裕: some leeway
- いくらかの経験: some experience
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 少し: a little — more common in everyday speech; similar but slightly larger degree
- 多少: somewhat, more or less — similar meaning; slightly more formal
- ちょっと: a bit — casual; used in conversation
- 若干: somewhat, slightly — more formal; often used in written Japanese