Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Week" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "week", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
週
しゅう (shuu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
週間
しゅうかん (shūkan)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "week" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 週 and 週間.
In Japanese, 週 (しゅう (shuu)) is typically associated with "week" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Always refers to a week or weeks. Commonly combined with prefixes like '今週.
On the other hand, 週間 (しゅうかん (shūkan)) maps to "week, weekly (suffix)" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Often used as a suffix to count weeks. A literal translation of "week" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "週"
毎週ジムに行きます。
I go to the gym every week.
Bilingual Context for "週間"
彼は2週間の休みを取って旅行に行った。
He took a two-week vacation and went on a trip.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "毎 ＿＿＿ ジムに行きます。" (Meaning: "I go to the gym every week.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "週" fits here because it means "week" in the context of: "I go to the gym every week.". "週間" represents "week, weekly (suffix)".