Use をかける to describe the time or money invested in doing something.
The idea
Mark the amount with を and the activity or purpose with に: 料理に二時間をかける. The form 一か月をかけて絵を描く connects the time invested to the action. かける is transitive and conjugates normally.
Examples
- 私はこの料理に二時間をかけました。I spent two hours on this dish.
- 父は庭の手入れにたくさんの時間をかけます。My father spends a lot of time tending the garden.
- 私は旅行にあまりお金をかけません。I do not spend much money on travel.
- 妹は一か月をかけてこの絵を描きました。My younger sister spent a month painting this picture.
- この橋は三年をかけて建てられました。This bridge was built over three years.
- 私たちは準備にお金をかけずに祭りを開きました。We held the festival without spending money on preparations.
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Watch out
時間がかかる describes the time something takes; 時間をかける presents someone as investing time. Do not use に for the amount in this pattern.
Try it yourself
料理に二時間＿かけました。
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を
を — It marks 二時間 as the amount invested.
一か月を＿＿、絵を描きました。
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かけて
かけて — The て form connects the month spent to drawing the picture.
旅行にお金を＿＿。
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かけません
かけません — The polite negative says that you do not spend money on travel.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
料理に二時間＿かけました。
一か月を＿＿、絵を描きました。
旅行にお金を＿＿。
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe a project you spent time on and one activity you avoid spending money on.