いくつ
ikutsuinterrogative pronoun★Beginner
informal
How many? (used to ask about quantity)
りんごはいくつありますか？
How many apples are there?
いくつの本を読みましたか？
How many books did you read?
💡
Used in both formal and informal contexts to ask about the number of items.
Collocations
いくつかsomeいくつもmany
Synonyms
Related Phrases
いくつかphrase
some
いくつもphrase
many
💡Pro Tip
Counting Objects
Use 'いくつ' with appropriate counters (e.g., 'いくつの本' for books, 'いくつのりんご' for apples).
⚡Gold Rule
Formal vs. Informal
In formal contexts, use 'いくつありますか' or 'いくつですか', while in informal contexts, 'いくつあるの' or 'いくつ?' is common.
📖Word Origin
Derived from the combination of 'いく' (to go) and 'つ' (counter for small objects), originally used to count small items.
📝Usage Notes
Can be used with various counters depending on the object being counted (e.g., 'いくつの' for general counting, 'いくつか' for 'some').
Word Breakdown
いく
to go
rootつ
counter for small objects
suffix✎ Noted on May 2, 2026JA → EN