Japanese for Sashiko: Asking About Thread Length at a Craft Workshop
Learn beginner Japanese phrases to ask how long sashiko thread should be and to say your thread is too short, with a workshop role-play and key vocabulary like 刺し子 and 針.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In a sashiko workshop, the thread you cut is one of the first things an instructor will check. Too short, and you will be stopping constantly to rethread; too long, and it tangles or frays. This lesson gives you two core sentences: 糸の長さはどのくらいですか (how long should the thread be?) and 糸が足りません (I don't have enough thread). You will also learn the words 刺し子 (sashiko), 針 (needle), and 糸 (thread), and practise a short exchange with an instructor so you can adjust your thread calmly and politely in Japanese.
By the end, you can…
- ask an instructor how long my sashiko thread should be.
- say that my thread is not long enough and ask what to do.
- name basic sashiko tools such as 糸, 針 and 刺し子 in Japanese.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
糸の長さはどのくらいですか。
About how long should the thread be?
Ito no nagasa wa dono kurai desu ka.
A polite, general question. Use it when you have not yet cut your thread and want a recommended length.
糸が足りません。
I don't have enough thread. / The thread is not long enough.
Ito ga tarimasen.
Said after you have started stitching and the thread runs short. 足りません is the polite negative of 足ります (to be enough).
この長さでいいですか。
Is this length all right?
Kono nagasa de ii desu ka.
Use this while holding up your cut thread so the instructor can see and confirm it.
もう少し長く切ったほうがいいですか。
Should I cut it a little longer?
Mō sukoshi nagaku kitta hō ga ii desu ka.
A useful follow-up when you suspect your thread is too short. 〜たほうがいいですか asks for a recommendation.
針に糸を通すとき、どのくらい残しますか。
When threading the needle, about how much should I leave?
Hari ni ito o tōsu toki, dono kurai nokoshimasu ka.
For asking about the tail end of the thread after threading the needle. 針に糸を通す means to thread a needle. 残します is the polite non-past form of 残す (to leave behind).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 〜はどのくらいですか asks 'about how much / how long is ~?' Place the thing you are asking about before は. For example, 糸の長さはどのくらいですか (how long is the thread?), 時間はどのくらいですか (how much time?), or 針の太さはどのくらいですか (how thick is the needle?). If you already have a piece of thread in your hand, you can point to it and say この長さでいいですか (is this length all right?). The particle で here marks a standard or criterion, so the instructor understands you are asking for confirmation, not a new measurement.
When to use it
Use 糸の長さはどのくらいですか before you cut, when you want a recommended length from the instructor. Use 糸が足りません after you have started stitching and the thread runs out. If you want to check a length you have already cut, hold it up and say この長さでいいですか. If the instructor says もう少し長く (a little longer) or もう少し短く (a little shorter), you can repeat it back: もう少し長くですね (a little longer, right?). This keeps the exchange clear and polite without needing long sentences.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、糸の長さはどのくらいですか。
Excuse me, about how long should the thread be?Sumimasen, ito no nagasa wa dono kurai desu ka.腕の長さくらいに切ってください。
Please cut it to about the length of your arm.Ude no nagasa kurai ni kitte kudasai.わかりました。この長さでいいですか。
I see. Is this length all right?Wakarimashita. Kono nagasa de ii desu ka.はい、大丈夫です。もし足りなくなったら、また聞いてください。
Yes, that's fine. If it runs short, please ask me again.Hai, daijōbu desu. Moshi tarinaku nattara, mata kiite kudasai.A little context goes a long way
In a Japanese workshop, すみません is a natural way to get an instructor's attention without sounding abrupt. Instructors often give lengths in body-based terms, such as 腕の長さくらい (about the length of your arm), rather than exact centimetres. When you receive advice, a short わかりました or はい、大丈夫です shows you are following. If you need to interrupt, wait for a pause in the instructor's demonstration and begin with すみません, then ask your question.
One thing to watch for
Saying 糸は足りません with は instead of 糸が足りません.
Try this instead: Use が with 足りません when you mean 'I don't have enough thread': 糸が足りません. The particle が marks what is lacking. 糸は足りません can sound like a general statement about thread in general, not about your current piece. If you want to contrast, you can say この糸が足りません (this thread is not enough).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You have cut your thread and want to know if the length is acceptable. What do you say while holding it up?
Show a sample answer
この長さでいいですか。
This asks for confirmation of the length you already have. この長さでいいですか is natural and polite. You could also say この長さで大丈夫ですか, which is slightly more casual but still fine.
2You are stitching and the thread becomes too short to continue. What sentence tells the instructor?
Show a sample answer
糸が足りません。
糸が足りません directly says the thread is not enough. If you want to add a request, you can say 糸が足りません。もう少し長く切ったほうがいいですか。
3You want to ask how long the thread should be before cutting. Which phrase do you use?
Show a sample answer
糸の長さはどのくらいですか。
This is the standard question for a recommended length. どのくらい asks 'about how much'. You can also ask どのくらいの長さですか, which means the same thing.
Before cutting, ask 糸の長さはどのくらいですか. If you run short mid-stitch, say 糸が足りません, then confirm with この長さでいいですか.
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