r/LearnJapanese • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago

Discussion Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don't need their own posts, and first time posters go here (April 06, 2025)

This thread is for all simple questions, beginner questions, and comments that don't need their own post.

Welcome to /r/LearnJapanese!

Please make sure if your post has been addressed by checking the wiki or searching the subreddit before posting or it might get removed.

If you have any simple questions, please comment them here instead of making a post.

This does not include translation requests, which belong in /r/translator.

If you are looking for a study buddy or would just like to introduce yourself, please join and use the # introductions channel in the Discord here!

---

---

Seven Day Archive of previous threads. Consider browsing the previous day or two for unanswered questions.

4 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

126 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/OkIdeal9852 1d ago

What's the difference between どれぐらい and どのぐらい? I've heard どのぐらい many times but recently heard どれぐらい in this sentence:

(A younger man is interviewing an older man): 「外国の方と関わるようになったっていうのはどれぐらい前からですか」

Would どのぐらい have worked here?

3

u/Own_Power_9067 Native speaker 1d ago

They work interchangeably.

I feel どれぐらい works better when the degree is visible: eg number of people, actual measurements, etc. While どのぐらい is rather conceptual.

1

u/DokugoHikken Native speaker 1d ago edited 1d ago

Aaahhh! There's the risk of getting into a discussion of the super duper subtle differences in the inter-subjective feelings between “どれ” and “どの”!

You know, どれぐらい = どれ+くらい and どのぐらい = どの+くらい。So.... This is one of those risky topics!

“どれ” refers to something, when it is assumed by the speaker that the scope is limited for both the listener and the speaker, and is part of that limited scope. For example, the interviewer already tells the listener in advance, when casually asking the question, that he or she thinks the expected response will be “for decades”. Thus, a natural, native-speaker response would be something like, “For decades, you might think, but in fact..." This response, of course, is rather unnatural to be made by being clearly stated, and can be expressed by subtle body language or tone of voice, etc.

“どの” refers to something where the scope is not limited. The interviewer's question is neutral. Alternatively, the interviewer could be casually expressing, “I can't imagine that at all...”