How do you say “three days in a row,” “three times in a row,” or “two weeks in a row” in Japanese? 🇯🇵

Two useful expressions are 連続（れんぞく） and 続けて（つづけて）. Both can express the idea of something happening consecutively, but they are used a little differently.

Let’s learn how to use them with different counters!

1. 連続（れんぞく） — Consecutive / In a row

連続（れんぞく） is a noun that means “continuation,” “consecutive,” or “in a row.” It emphasizes that events happen one after another without interruption.

You can use it with different counters, such as 日 (days), 回 (times), 週 (weeks), and 年 (years).

Examples

• 3日連続かれんぞくで雨あめが降ふりました。It rained for three days in a row.
• 5回連続かいれんぞくで勝かちました。I won five times in a row.
• 2週間連続しゅうかんれんぞくで働はたらきました。I worked for two weeks straight.
• 彼かれは3年連続ねんれんぞくで優勝ゆうしょうしました。He won the championship three years in a row.
• 彼かれは4試合連続しあいれんぞくでゴールを決きめました。He scored a goal in four consecutive matches.

Grammar pattern:

Number + counter + 連続（れんぞく） で

You can also use 連続（れんぞく） as part of a noun phrase, such as 3年（ねん）連続（れんぞく） の優勝（ゆうしょう） (three consecutive years of championship wins).

2. 続けて（つづけて） — Continuously / In succession

続けて (つづけて) comes from the verb 続ける (つづける), meaning “to continue.”

It can describe doing something repeatedly or continuing an action over a period of time. Depending on the context, it can mean “in a row,” “continuously,” or “one after another.”

Examples

• 3日続かつづけてラーメンを食たべました。I ate ramen three days in a row.
• 2回続かいつづけて同おなじ間違まちがいをしました。I made the same mistake twice in a row.
• 3時間続じかんつづけて日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうしました。I studied Japanese for three hours straight.
• 2週間続しゅうかんつづけてジムに通かよいました。I went to the gym for two weeks straight.
• 3日続かつづけて寝坊ねぼうしました。I overslept three days in a row.

Grammar pattern:

Number + counter + 続けて (つづけて)

3. What’s the difference between 連続（れんぞく） and 続けて (つづけて) ?

Both expressions can describe consecutive events, and they often overlap. The main difference is the focus.

• 連続（れんぞく） emphasizes a sequence of consecutive events or an unbroken streak. It is common in statistics, sports, news, and formal descriptions.
• 続けて（つづけて） emphasizes doing something continuously or repeating an action. It often sounds natural when describing your own experiences and actions.

Compare these sentences:

3回連続かいれんぞくで勝かちました。I won three times in a row.

This emphasizes a winning streak.

3回続かいつづけて同おなじ質問しつもんをしました。I asked the same question three times in a row.

This emphasizes repeating the same action.

These are tendencies, not strict rules. Both expressions can be natural in many of the same situations!

4. Use them with different counters!

You can use these expressions with many Japanese counters. Here are some useful combinations.

Counter	Example	English
日（にち）	3日連続（みっかれんぞく）	Three days in a row
回（かい）	5回連続（かいれんぞく）	Five times in a row
週間（しゅうかん）	2週間連続（しゅうかんれんぞく）	Two weeks in a row
年（ねん）	3年連続（ねんれんぞく）	Three years in a row
試合（しあい）	4試合連続（しあいれんぞく）	Four consecutive matches
時間（じかん）	3時間続けて（じかんつづけて）	For three hours straight
週（しゅう）	4週続けて（しゅうつづけて）	Four weeks in a row
月（つき）	3か月続けて（げつつづけて）	Three months in a row

Important note: The best expression depends on what you want to describe. 連続（れんぞく） is especially useful for consecutive events or streaks, while 続けて（つづけて） is also useful for describing an ongoing or repeated action.

Conclusion

To say “in a row” in Japanese, start with these two expressions:

• 連続（れんぞく） — consecutive / in a row
• 続けて（つづけて） — continuously / in succession / in a row

Try using them with different counters, such as 日 (days), 回 (times), 週 (weeks), and 年 (years).

Now, here’s a question for you: What have you done several days in a row? Tell us in Japanese in the comments!

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