Japanese Grammar: 〜おきに (At intervals of)

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Japanese Grammar: 〜おきに (At intervals of)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

At intervals of / every (leaving a gap).

🎯 Primary Function

Expressing repetitive intervals in time or space.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Quantity/Number Noun] + おきに
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Common in medicine instructions, transport schedules, and formal reports.

😊 Informal Situations

Used frequently to describe habits (e.g., gym, cleaning).

✍️ Written Language

Common in manuals, schedules, and descriptive texts.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in daily conversation for frequency.

💡 Common Applications

Time Intervals
Used to describe events that repeat after a specific duration has passed.
Example: 5分おき (Every 5 minutes)
Physical Distance
Used to describe objects placed with a specific physical gap between them.
Example: 2メートルおき (At 2-meter intervals)
Frequency of Actions
Commonly used to indicate skipping one unit of time between actions.
Example: 1日おき (Every other day)
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
5分おきにバスが来ます。
Furigana: ごふんおきにバスがきます。
Romaji: Gofun oki ni basu ga kimasu.
English: Buses come every five minutes (at five-minute intervals).
Example #2
1日おきにジムへ行きます。
Furigana: いちにちおきにジムへいきます。
Romaji: Ichinichi oki ni jimu e ikimasu.
English: I go to the gym every other day.
Example #3
花を2メートルおきに植えてください。
Furigana: はなをにメートルおきにうえてください。
Romaji: Hana o ni meetoru oki ni uete kudasai.
English: Please plant the flowers two meters apart.
Example #4
この薬を4時間おきに飲んでください。
Furigana: このくすりをよじかんおきにのんでください。
Romaji: Kono kusuri o yojikan oki ni nonde kudasai.
English: Please take this medicine every four hours.
Example #5
15分おきにチャイムが鳴ります。
Furigana: じゅうごふんおきにチャイムがなります。
Romaji: Juugofun oki ni chaimu ga narimasu.
English: The chime rings every fifteen minutes.
Example #6
1週間おきに会議があります。
Furigana: いっしゅうかんおきにかいぎがあります。
Romaji: Isshuukan oki ni kaigi ga arimasu.
English: There is a meeting every other week.
Example #7
彼は数分おきにスマートフォンをチェックしています。
Furigana: かれはすうふんおきにスマートフォンをチェックしています。
Romaji: Kare wa suufun oki ni sumaahofon o chekku shite imasu.
English: He checks his smartphone every few minutes.
Example #8
この道には50メートルおきに電柱があります。
Furigana: このみちにはごじゅうメートルおきにでんちゅうがあります。
Romaji: Kono michi ni wa gojuu meetoru oki ni denchuu ga arimasu.
English: Utility poles are placed every 50 meters along this road.
Example #9
2行おきに書いてください。
Furigana: にぎょうおきにかいてください。
Romaji: Nigyou oki ni kaite kudasai.
English: Please skip every two lines when you write.
Example #10
この本は、10ページおきに挿絵があります。
Furigana: このほんは、じゅっページおきにさしえがあります。
Romaji: Kono hon wa, juppeiji oki ni sashie ga arimasu.
English: In this book, there are illustrations every 10 pages.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

The ‘Gap’ Rule
‘X おきに’ literally means ‘leaving a gap of X’. Therefore, ‘1日おき’ means a 1-day gap.
Example: 1日おき (Every other day) vs. 2日おき (Every 3 days).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using ‘1日おき’ to mean ‘every day’.
✅ 1日おき (Every other day / skipping 1 day)
Users often confuse ‘1日おき’ with ‘毎日’ (every day). ‘1日おき’ means Day 1: Yes, Day 2: No, Day 3: Yes.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Can be used in both polite and casual speech.
Social Situations: Essential for understanding medicine dosages or public transport intervals.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜おきに vs. 〜ごとに
‘ごとに’ means ‘every’ (without focusing on the gap), while ‘おきに’ focuses on the interval/gap. For 1-unit intervals, ‘1日おき’ is every other day, but ‘1日ごとに’ is every day.
When to use: Use ‘ごとに’ for simple ‘every’. Use ‘おきに’ when emphasizing the space or time between items.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘おきに’ comes from the verb ‘おく’ (置く – to place). It does not conjugate when used as a grammar particle.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘o’ in ‘oki’ is short. Avoid elongating it.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘置く’ (to place). You are ‘placing’ a gap of time or space between actions. ‘1日おき’ = Place 1 day in between.

Other Grammar

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