List of Counters
In the lesson on numbers (L105), you learned that different counting words ("counters") need to be used for counting different kinds of things. To make things harder, these counters often undergo sound changes when combined with different numbers.
The list below gives some common counters, and how they are pronounced in combination with numbers from 1 to 10.
If you don't know the specific counter for something, you can always use the generic counter "tsu" (see the section on this in L105). But this will sound strange if you are using them in place of one of the more common counters.
People
Counting People: 人
- Pronunciations: ri (only for one and two), nin (all other numbers)
- One to ten: hitori, futari, sannin, yonin, gonin, rokunin, nananin or shichinin, hachinin, kyuunin, juunin
- How many: nannin
Example
三人の学生
sannin no gakusei
three students
Counting Years of Age: 歳, 才
- Pronunciations: sai
- One to ten: issai, nisai, sansai, yonsai, gosai, rokusai, nanasai, hassai, kyuusai, jussai
- Exception: hatachi (twenty years old)
- How many: nansai
Animals
Animals are counted with special words, often depending on the size of the animal.
Counting Small Animals: 匹
- Pronunciations: hiki, biki, piki
- One to ten: ippiki, nihiki, sanbiki, yonhiki, gohiki, roppiki, nanhiki or shichihiki, happiki, kyuuhiki, juppiki
- How many: nanbiki
Example
一匹の猫
ippiki no neko
one cat
Counting Birds, Rabbits, Frogs, etc. (flying or hopping animals): 羽
- Pronunciations: wa, ba, pa
- One to ten: ichiwa, niwa, sanba, yonwa, gowa, rokuwa or roppa, nanawa or shichiwa, hachiwa or happa, kyuuwa, juuwa or juppa
- How many: nanba
Example
五羽の兎
gowa no usagi
five rabbits
Counting Horses, Cows, Large Animals: 頭
- Pronunciations: tou
- One to ten: ittou, nitou, santou, yontou, gotou, rokutou, nanatou, hattou or hachitou, kyuutou, juttou
- How many: nantou
Example
四十頭の牛
yonjuttou no ushi
forty cows or forty head of cattle
Objects Classified by Shape
Many things are classified by their shape, this may for instance depend on if they are round, flat, cylindric or spheric.
Counting Flat Objects (paper, postage stamps, etc.): 枚
- Pronunciations: mai
- One to ten: ichimai, nimai, sanmai, yonmai, gomai, rokumai, nanamai or shichimai, hachimai, kyuumai, juumai
- How many: nanmai
Example
一枚の紙
ichimai no kami
a sheet of paper, one sheet of paper
Counting Long, Slender Objects (pencils, trees, rolls of film, etc.): 本
- Pronunciations: hon, bon, pon
- One to ten: ippon, nihon, sanbon, yonhon, gohon, roppon or rokuhon, nanahon, happon, kyuuhon, juppon
- How many:nanbon
Example
八本のボールペン
happon no boorupen
eight ball-point pens
Counting Small Objects with Irregular Shapes: 個
- Pronunciations: ko
- One to ten: ikko, niko, sanko, yonko, goko, rokko, nanako, hachiko, kyuuko, jukko
- How many: nanko
Example
六個のねじ
rokko no neji
six screws
Other counters
Some things have counters used only for that type of object, for instance books and magazines use the counter -satsu.
Counting Books, Magazines, etc.: 冊
- Pronunciations: satsu
- One to ten: issatsu, nisatsu, sansatsu, yonsatsu, gosatsu, rokusatsu, nanasatsu, hassatsu, kyuusatsu, jussatsu
- How many: nansatsu
Examples
二冊の辞書
nisatsu no jisho
two dictionaries
同じ本を二冊
onaji hon o nisatsu
two copies of the same book
Cupfuls of things to Drink: 杯
- Pronunciations: hai, bai, pai
- One to ten: ippai, nihai, sanbai, yonhai, gohai, rokuhai or roppai, nanahai, hachihai or happai, kyuuhai, juppai
- How many: nanbai
Example
二杯のお茶
nihai no ocha
two cups of (green) tea
Pairs of Footwear: 足
- Pronunciations: soku
- One to ten: issoku, nisoku, sansoku, yonsoku, gosoku, rokusoku, nanasoku, hassoku, kyuusoku, jussoku
- How many: nansoku
Example
三足の靴
sansoku no kutsu
three pairs of shoes
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hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu, muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, too (without tsu).
Oh god! I didn't even know there were counters. I thought you could just say "roku no ringo." Oh god was I wrong. I better copy these down....