Japanese word

数時間

Pronunciation

Romajisūjikan

Meaning

  • nounseveral hours

Example

その仕事は数時間かかります。so no shi goto wa sū ji kan ka ka ri ma su

That work takes several hours.

Illustration for 数時間 (several hours)

More examples

駅で電車を数時間待ちました。eki de den sha o sū ji kan ma chi ma shi ta

I waited for the train at the station for several hours.

Core concept

It frames a duration of several hours as a limited but unspecified stretch, without committing to an exact count.

Common phrases

  • 数時間待つsū ji kan ma tsu

    wait for several hours

  • 数時間続くsū ji kan tsuzu ku

    continue for several hours

  • 数時間以内sū ji kan i nai

    within several hours

Definition in Japanese

何時間かにわたる、正確な時間数を示さない長さ。nan ji kan ka ni wa ta ru sei kaku na ji kan sū o shime sa na i naga sa

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese noun 数時間 (sūjikan) combines 数 (sū, "number") with 時間 (jikan, "time interval"); 時間 contains 時 (ji, "time") and 間 (kan, "interval"), while 数 leaves the count open.

Usage tips

  • With the verb かかる (kakaru), 数時間 (sūjikan) describes an activity's length, while 数時間後 (sūjikan-go) places an event several hours later.

Other meanings

  • a few hoursnoun
  • a couple of hoursnoun

Word lists with this word