Lesson L14N3N3 Kanji in Context⏱ 25 min

Quantity and Degree Kanji

This lesson focuses on kanji that express quantities, degrees, and measures, such as 量 (amount), 度 (degree/time), 倍 (double/times), and 割 (rate/divide). Each kanji is introduced with common on'yomi and kun'yomi readings, key compounds, and usage in real-life contexts. Practice includes reading sentences and identifying the correct kanji based on context.

🎯 Goal: Learn N3 kanji related to quantity and degree in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read and understand 6 key N3 kanji related to quantity and degree in everyday contexts. You will learn their core meanings, common readings, and how they appear in practical words and sentences.

Concept

In Japanese, kanji for quantity and degree help you express ideas like "how much," "how many," "to what extent," and "roughly how much." These kanji often appear in numbers, amounts, and comparisons. Mastering them will make your reading and speaking much more precise.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. 量 (りょう / ryou) – quantity, amount

Meaning: quantity, amount, volume
Common readings: りょう (ryou), はか.る (haka.ru)
Example words:
- 大量 (たいりょう / tairyou) – large quantity
- 量る (はかる / hakaru) – to measure
Usage tip: Often used in compound words to talk about volume or amount of something.

2. 度 (ど / do) – degree, time, occasion

Meaning: degree, time (as in "once"), occasion
Common readings: ど (do), たび (tabi), たく (taku)
Example words:
- 温度 (おんど / ondo) – temperature
- 一度 (いちど / ichido) – once, one time
Usage tip: Can mean "degree" (like temperature) or "time" (like "this time").

3. 多 (おお / oo) – many, much

Meaning: many, much, a lot
Common readings: おお.い (oo.i), た (ta)
Example words:
- 多い (おおい / ooi) – many, a lot
- 多分 (たぶん / tabun) – probably, maybe
Usage tip: 多い is an adjective meaning "many." 多分 means "probably" (high degree of likelihood).

4. 少 (すく / suku) – few, little

Meaning: few, little, small amount
Common readings: すく.ない (suku.nai), しょう (shou)
Example words:
- 少ない (すくない / sukunai) – few, not many
- 少し (すこし / sukoshi) – a little, a bit
Usage tip: 少し is a very common adverb meaning "a little."

5. 全 (ぜん / zen) – whole, all, entire

Meaning: whole, all, entire, complete
Common readings: ぜん (zen), まった.く (matta.ku)
Example words:
- 全部 (ぜんぶ / zenbu) – everything, all
- 全然 (ぜんぜん / zenzen) – (not) at all (used with negatives)
Usage tip: 全然 is used with negative verbs to mean "not at all."

6. 半 (はん / han) – half

Meaning: half, semi-
Common readings: はん (han), なか.ば (naka.ba)
Example words:
- 半分 (はんぶん / hanbun) – half
- 半年 (はんとし / hantoshi) – half a year
Usage tip: Often used with time or quantity to mean "half."

Mini Examples

この部屋の温度は高いです。
Kono heya no ondo wa takai desu.
"The temperature of this room is high."
昨日は大量の雨が降った。
Kinou wa tairyou no ame ga futta.
"Yesterday, a large amount of rain fell."
彼は多分来ないでしょう。
Kare wa tabun konai deshou.
"He probably won't come."
少しだけ待ってください。
Sukoshi dake matte kudasai.
"Please wait just a little."
このケーキを半分に切ってください。
Kono keeki wo hanbun ni kitte kudasai.
"Please cut this cake in half."
全部食べましたか？
Zenbu tabemashita ka?
"Did you eat everything?"

Common Mistake

❌ Using 多い (ooi) directly before a noun like an adjective.

Incorrect: 多い人 (ooi hito) – "many people" (sounds unnatural)
Correct: 多くの人 (ooku no hito) – "many people"

Tip: 多い is an adjective that usually comes after the noun with が. To use it before a noun, change it to 多くの (ooku no).

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct kanji from this lesson.

このスープは__分だけ残っています。
Kono suupu wa __bun dake nokotte imasu.
"Only half of this soup remains."
今日は人が__いですね。
Kyou wa hito ga __i desu ne.
"There are many people today, aren't there?"
彼は__然お酒を飲まない。
Kare wa __zen osake wo nomanai.
"He doesn't drink alcohol at all."
この問題は__度が高いです。
Kono mondai wa __do ga takai desu.
"The degree of difficulty of this problem is high."
もう__しだけ待ってください。
Mou __shi dake matte kudasai.
"Please wait just a little longer."

Summary and Next Step

You've learned 6 essential N3 kanji for quantity and degree:

Kanji	Meaning	Key Reading
量	quantity	りょう (ryou)
度	degree	ど (do)
多	many	おお (oo)
少	few	すく (suku)
全	all	ぜん (zen)
半	half	はん (han)

Next step: Practice using these kanji in sentences about daily life—talk about temperature, amounts of food, or how many people are in a room. Then move on to kanji for time and frequency (e.g., 毎, 週, 年) to build your vocabulary further.