Japanese Counting System
Japanese uses counters - special words that follow numbers depending on what you're counting. This is similar to saying "two sheets of paper" in English, but Japanese does this for almost everything.
Key Point
The counter comes after the number: 本を3冊買いました (I bought 3 books)
General Counter: 〜つ
The counter 〜つ can be used for many things, especially small objects. It uses native Japanese numbers (ひとつ, ふたつ, etc.).
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ひとつ | hitotsu |
| 2 | ふたつ | futatsu |
| 3 | みっつ | mittsu |
| 4 | よっつ | yottsu |
| 5 | いつつ | itsutsu |
| 6 | むっつ | muttsu |
| 7 | ななつ | nanatsu |
| 8 | やっつ | yattsu |
| 9 | ここのつ | kokonotsu |
| 10 | とお | too |
Examples
りんごをふたつください。
Ringo wo futatsu kudasai.
Please give me two apples.
卵をみっつ買いました。
Tamago wo mittsu kaimashita.
I bought three eggs.
Counting People: 〜人
Use 〜人 (nin/ri) to count people. Note the irregular readings for 1 and 2 people.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 一人 | hitori |
| 2 people | 二人 | futari |
| 3 people | 三人 | san-nin |
| 4 people | 四人 | yo-nin |
| 5 people | 五人 | go-nin |
Examples
家族は四人です。
Kazoku wa yo-nin desu.
My family has four people.
三人で行きましょう。
San-nin de ikimashou.
Let's go with three people.
Common Counters
| Counter | Used For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜枚 (mai) | Flat objects (paper, shirts, plates) | 紙を2枚 |
| 〜本 (hon/bon/pon) | Long objects (pens, bottles, trees) | ペンを3本 |
| 〜台 (dai) | Machines, vehicles | 車を1台 |
| 〜冊 (satsu) | Books, magazines | 本を5冊 |
| 〜匹 (hiki/biki/piki) | Small animals | 猫を2匹 |
| 〜杯 (hai/bai/pai) | Cups, glasses, bowls | コーヒーを1杯 |
Sound Changes
Some counters change pronunciation based on the number. For example, 本 becomes ぽん (pon) after 1, 6, 8, 10 and ぼん (bon) after 3.
How Many? 〜いくつ / 何〜
To ask "how many?", use いくつ (general) or 何 + counter.
Examples
りんごはいくつありますか。
Ringo wa ikutsu arimasu ka.
How many apples are there?
家族は何人ですか。
Kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka.
How many people are in your family?
本を何冊買いましたか。
Hon wo nan-satsu kaimashita ka.
How many books did you buy?
Position in Sentence
Counters typically come after the particle を or before the verb.
Word Order
ビールを3本飲みました。
Biiru wo san-bon nomimashita.
I drank 3 bottles of beer.
切手を5枚ください。
Kitte wo go-mai kudasai.
Please give me 5 stamps.