Meaning and Usage
The suffix ～週間 (～しゅうかん) is used to indicate a period of weeks, similar to saying "for ~ weeks" or "~ weeks long" in English. It attaches to a number to express duration or time span.
Common Contexts
You will often see ～週間 used when talking about how long something lasts or will last, such as a stay, a project, or a waiting period. It is a very common time expression in everyday conversation and writing.
Collocations and Patterns
- 数字 + 週間: Expresses the number of weeks (e.g., 三週間 = three weeks).
- 〜週間で: Indicates completion within a certain number of weeks (e.g., 二週間で終わる = finish in two weeks).
- 〜週間後に: Indicates a point in time after a certain number of weeks (e.g., 三週間後に = three weeks later).
Register and Politeness
This expression is neutral and can be used in both casual and formal contexts without change.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse ～週間 with ～日間 (～にちかん), which means "days." Remember that 週間 specifically counts weeks, so it is used with numbers representing weeks, not days.