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Japanese counters chart 助数詞

In Japanese you count things with a counter word that depends on their shape or type: 2 pens is 2本, 2 sheets of paper is 2枚. This chart shows 1 to 10 for the most useful counters.

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Counting 1 to 10

Swipe sideways on mobile. Where two readings exist, both are common.

Counter12345678910How many?
つgeneral things (up to 10) ひとつhitotsuふたつfutatsuみっつmittsuよっつyottsuいつつitsutsuむっつmuttsuななつnanatsuやっつyattsuここのつkokonotsuとおtoo いくつikutsu
人people ひとりhitoriふたりfutariさんにんsanninよにんyoninごにんgoninろくにんrokuninななにんnananinしちにんshichininはちにんhachininきゅうにんkyuuninじゅうにんjuunin なんにんnannin
本long, thin things: bottles, pens, trees いっぽんipponにほんnihonさんぼんsanbonよんほんyonhonごほんgohonろっぽんropponななほんnanahonはっぽんhapponはちほんhachihonきゅうほんkyuuhonじゅっぽんjupponじっぽんjippon なんぼんnanbon
枚flat things: paper, shirts, tickets いちまいichimaiにまいnimaiさんまいsanmaiよんまいyonmaiごまいgomaiろくまいrokumaiななまいnanamaiはちまいhachimaiきゅうまいkyuumaiじゅうまいjuumai なんまいnanmai
匹small animals: cats, dogs, fish いっぴきippikiにひきnihikiさんびきsanbikiよんひきyonhikiごひきgohikiろっぴきroppikiななひきnanahikiはっぴきhappikiはちひきhachihikiきゅうひきkyuuhikiじゅっぴきjuppikiじっぴきjippiki なんびきnanbiki
個small objects: apples, eggs, boxes いっこikkoにこnikoさんこsankoよんこyonkoごこgokoろっこrokkoななこnanakoはっこhakkoはちこhachikoきゅうこkyuukoじゅっこjukkoじっこjikko なんこnanko
冊books, notebooks, magazines いっさつissatsuにさつnisatsuさんさつsansatsuよんさつyonsatsuごさつgosatsuろくさつrokusatsuななさつnanasatsuはっさつhassatsuきゅうさつkyuusatsuじゅっさつjussatsuじっさつjissatsu なんさつnansatsu
台machines and vehicles: cars, computers いちだいichidaiにだいnidaiさんだいsandaiよんだいyondaiごだいgodaiろくだいrokudaiななだいnanadaiはちだいhachidaiきゅうだいkyuudaiじゅうだいjuudai なんだいnandai
回times, occurrences いっかいikkaiにかいnikaiさんかいsankaiよんかいyonkaiごかいgokaiろっかいrokkaiななかいnanakaiはっかいhakkaiはちかいhachikaiきゅうかいkyuukaiじゅっかいjukkaiじっかいjikkai なんかいnankai
歳age (years old) いっさいissaiにさいnisaiさんさいsansaiよんさいyonsaiごさいgosaiろくさいrokusaiななさいnanasaiはっさいhassaiきゅうさいkyuusaiじゅっさいjussaiじっさいjissai なんさいnansai
杯cups, glasses, bowls (of a drink or food) いっぱいippaiにはいnihaiさんばいsanbaiよんはいyonhaiごはいgohaiろっぱいroppaiななはいnanahaiはっぱいhappaiはちはいhachihaiきゅうはいkyuuhaiじゅっぱいjuppaiじっぱいjippai なんばいnanbai

Sound changes to remember

  • つ – Native Japanese numbers. Above 10 you switch to 11個, 12個… or just the number.
  • 人 – 1 and 2 are irregular (ひとり, ふたり) and 4 is よにん, not よんにん.
  • 本 – The sound changes: ほん after 2, 4, 5…, ぽん after 1, 6, 8, 10 and ぼん after 3.
  • 枚 – Completely regular: number + まい.
  • 匹 – Same sound pattern as 本: ぴき after 1, 6, 8, 10 and びき after 3.
  • 個 – A common everyday alternative to つ, and it keeps working above 10.
  • 冊 – 1, 8 and 10 double the consonant: いっさつ, はっさつ, じゅっさつ.
  • 台 – Completely regular: number + だい.
  • 回 – Sounds like 階 (floors), but 3 is さんかい here.
  • 歳 – 20 years old is はたち, an irregular reading.
  • 杯 – Same sound pattern as 本: ぱい after 1, 6, 8, 10 and ばい after 3.

Counters in real sentences

The highlighted part is the number with its counter.

つ – general things (up to 10)

  • りんごをひとつください Ringo wo hitotsu kudasai One apple, please ひとつ (一つ) is 'one' for general objects. Native Japanese counting system.
  • みかんがふたつあります Mikan ga futatsu arimasu There are two mandarins ふたつ (二つ) is 'two' for general objects.
  • 卵をみっつ買いました Tamago wo mittsu kaimashita I bought three eggs みっつ (三つ) is 'three' for general objects.

人 – people

  • ここにひとりいます Koko ni hitori imasu There is one person here ひとり (一人) is 'one person' - irregular reading!
  • 友達がふたり来ました Tomodachi ga futari kimashita Two friends came ふたり (二人) is 'two people' - also irregular!
  • 学生がさんにんいます Gakusei ga sannin imasu There are three students さんにん (三人) - from three onwards, use regular reading + にん.

本 – long, thin things: bottles, pens, trees

  • 鉛筆がいっぽんあります Enpitsu ga ippon arimasu There is one pencil いっぽん (一本) - note the っ and ぽん sound change!
  • 傘をにほん持っています Kasa wo nihon motteimasu I have two umbrellas にほん (二本) is 'two' long objects.
  • ボトルがさんぼん冷蔵庫にあります Botoru ga sanbon reizoko ni arimasu There are three bottles in the fridge さんぼん (三本) - note the ぼん sound change!

枚 – flat things: paper, shirts, tickets

  • 紙がいちまい必要です Kami ga ichimai hitsuyou desu I need one sheet of paper いちまい (一枚) counts flat objects like paper.
  • 写真をにまい撮りました Shashin wo nimai torimashita I took two photos にまい (二枚) is 'two' flat objects.
  • 切手をさんまい買いました Kitte wo sanmai kaimashita I bought three stamps さんまい (三枚) is 'three' flat objects.

匹 – small animals: cats, dogs, fish

  • 犬がいっぴきいます Inu ga ippiki imasu There is one dog いっぴき (一匹) counts small animals - note sound change!
  • 猫をにひき飼っています Neko wo nihiki katteimasu I have two cats にひき (二匹) is 'two' small animals.
  • 鳥がさんびきいます Tori ga sanbiki imasu There are three birds さんびき (三匹) - note the びき sound change!

Count like a native

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