Japanese counter word

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In Japanese counter words or counters (josūshi 助数詞) are used along with numbers to enumerate objects.

In Japanese, as in Chinese, numerals cannot quantify nouns by themselves (except, in certain cases, for the numbers from one to ten; see below). For example, to express the idea "two dogs" in Japanese one must say inu nihiki (犬二匹, literally "dog-two-small animal"). Here inu 犬 means "dog", ni 二 is the number 2, and hiki 匹 is the counter for small animals.

Counter words are similar in function to the word "sheet" in "two sheets of paper" or "loaf" in "two loaves of bread," (see mass nouns), but in Japanese all nouns require a counter.

This grammatical feature can result in situations where one is unable to express the number of a particular object in a grammatically correct way because one does not know, or cannot remember, the appropriate counting word. The problem is partially solved, for numbers from one to ten, by using the traditional numbers (see below) which can be used to quantify some nouns by themselves. For example, "four apples" is ringo o yonko (リンゴを四個) where ko (こ) is the counter, but can also be expressed using the traditional numeral four as ringo o yottsu (リンゴを四つ). These traditional numerals cannot be used to count all nouns, however; some, including people and animals, require the proper counter.

Counters can also be intentionally misused for humourous, sarcastic or insulting effect. For example, one might say 男一匹なのに ("I am only one man..."). Using the counter hiki (匹), the counter for small animals, humourously suggests a person overtowered by massive obstacles.

Table of contents

1 Table of the traditional numerals
2 List of counters
3 Exceptions

Table of the traditional numerals

Numeral	Japanese	Pronunciation
1	一つ	hitotsu
2	二つ	futatsu
3	三つ	mittsu
4	四つ	yottsu
5	五つ	itsutsu
6	六つ	muttsu
7	七つ	nanatsu
8	八つ	yattsu
9	九つ	kokonotsu
10	十	tō

List of counters

This is an incomplete list. It also includes counters which are rarely used or not widely known.

Pronunciation Japanese Use
ba 場 play
ban 晩 Nights
ban 番 Sumo matches, (Sports) matches
ban-sen 番線 Train track or platform numbers
ben 鞭 Whipping strokes
bi 尾 Fishes (obscure; usually hiki is used instead)
bu 部 Copies of a magazine or newspaper
bun 文 Sentences
byō 秒 Seconds
chaku 着, 著 Suits of clothing
chō 挺 Guns, shodo>sticks of ink, palanquins, rickshaws
chō 丁 Tools, scissors, saws, pistols, cakes of tofu, servings of noodles, town blocks
chō 町 Town blocks
chō 貼 Measures of powdered medicine
chō-me 丁目 Wards, blocks
dai 代 Generations, periods, reigns
dai 台 Cars, machines, mechanical devices
danraku 段落 Paragraphs
do 度 Occurrences, number of times (see also: kai)
fuku 服 matcha>macha (powdered green tea); packets or doses of powdered medicine
fuku 幅 Hanging scrolls (kakejiku)
fun 分 Minutes
furi 振 Swords
gatsu 月 Months of the year (see also: kagetsu)
go 語 Languages
gon 言 Words
gu 具 Suits of armour, sets of furniture
gyō 行 Lines of text
haku 泊 Nights of a stay
hai 杯 Cups, glasses, spoonfuls, cuttlefish, octopi, crabs
hai 敗 losses (sumo bouts)
hari 張 Umbrellas, Parasols
hashira 柱 Gods, Memorial tablets
hatsu 発 Gunshots
heya 部屋 Rooms
hiki 匹 Small animals, insects, fish
hin 品 Parts of a meal, courses (see also: shina)
ho 歩 Number of (foot)steps
hon 本 Long, thin, cylindrical objects; ties, pencils, bottles, telephone calls (see also: tsūwa). Note that one of the meanings of 本 is "book," but the counter for books is satsu.
ji 字 Letters, kanji, kana
ji 時 Hours
jikan 時間 Hour-long periods
jō 畳 Tatami mats. 畳 is also read tatami and is the same one used for the mats. Room size in Japan is often given as a number of mats, for example 4½ jō
ka 課 Chapters of a book
ka 架 Frames
kabu 株 Stocks, Nursery trees
kagetsu ヶ月 Month-long periods (see also: gatsu)
kakoku ヶ国 Countries
kakokugo ヶ国語 (National) languages
kaku 画 strokes in kanji
kai 回 Occurrences, number of times (see also: do)
kai 階 Number of floors, storeys
kan 艦 Warships
ken 件 Abstract matters and cases
ken 軒 Houses
ki 機 Aircraft,machines
ki 基 Grave, Wreath, CPU, Reactor
kire 切れ Slices (of bread, cake, etc)
ko 個 Military units, articles
ko 戸 Houses
kō 校 Schools
ku 区 Sections, city districts
ku 句 Haiku, Senryu
kuchi 口 (Bank) accounts, Donation
kumi 組 Groups
kurasu クラス School classes
kyaku 脚 Desks, Chairs
kyoku 曲 Pieces of music
kyoku 局 Boardgame matches(Chess, Igo, Shogi, Mahjong)
mai 枚 Thin, flat objects, sheets of paper, shirts, photographs
maki 巻 Rolls, scrolls
maku 幕 theatricals' acts
mei 名 People (polite)
men 面 Mirrors, Boards for Boardgame(Chess, Igo, Shogi), Stages of computer game
mon 門 Cannons
nichi 日 Days of the month (but see table of exceptions below)
nin 人 People (but see table of exceptions below)
peeji ページ、頁 Pages
rin 輪 Wheels, Flower
ryō 両 Railway's cars
sai 才、歳 Years of age
sao 棹 Chest of drawers, Flags
satsu 冊 Books
seki 席 Seats, Rakugo show, (Drinking) party
shina 品 Parts of a meal, courses (see also: hin)
shou 勝 wins (sumo bouts)
shu 首 Tanka
shurui 種類 Various types of thing
soku 足 Pairs of footwear or pants
tai 体 Images, person's remains
tawara 俵 Bags
tei イ Nights of a stay
ten 点 Points
tō 頭 Large animals, cattle, elephants. 頭 means "head"
tsū 通 Letters
tsūwa 通話 Telephone calls (see also: hon)
wa 羽 Birds, rabbits
wa 把 Bundles
zen 膳 Pairs of chopsticks

Pronunciation	Japanese	Use
ba	場	play
ban	晩	Nights
ban	番	Sumo matches, (Sports) matches
ban-sen	番線	Train track or platform numbers
ben	鞭	Whipping strokes
bi	尾	Fishes (obscure; usually hiki is used instead)
bu	部	Copies of a magazine or newspaper
bun	文	Sentences
byō	秒	Seconds
chaku	着, 著	Suits of clothing
chō	挺	Guns, shodo>sticks of ink, palanquins, rickshaws
chō	丁	Tools, scissors, saws, pistols, cakes of tofu, servings of noodles, town blocks
chō	町	Town blocks
chō	貼	Measures of powdered medicine
chō-me	丁目	Wards, blocks
dai	代	Generations, periods, reigns
dai	台	Cars, machines, mechanical devices
danraku	段落	Paragraphs
do	度	Occurrences, number of times (see also: kai)
fuku	服	matcha>macha (powdered green tea); packets or doses of powdered medicine
fuku	幅	Hanging scrolls (kakejiku)
fun	分	Minutes
furi	振	Swords
gatsu	月	Months of the year (see also: kagetsu)
go	語	Languages
gon	言	Words
gu	具	Suits of armour, sets of furniture
gyō	行	Lines of text
haku	泊	Nights of a stay
hai	杯	Cups, glasses, spoonfuls, cuttlefish, octopi, crabs
hai	敗	losses (sumo bouts)
hari	張	Umbrellas, Parasols
hashira	柱	Gods, Memorial tablets
hatsu	発	Gunshots
heya	部屋	Rooms
hiki	匹	Small animals, insects, fish
hin	品	Parts of a meal, courses (see also: shina)
ho	歩	Number of (foot)steps
hon	本	Long, thin, cylindrical objects; ties, pencils, bottles, telephone calls (see also: tsūwa). Note that one of the meanings of 本 is "book," but the counter for books is satsu.
ji	字	Letters, kanji, kana
ji	時	Hours
jikan	時間	Hour-long periods
jō	畳	Tatami mats. 畳 is also read tatami and is the same one used for the mats. Room size in Japan is often given as a number of mats, for example 4½ jō
ka	課	Chapters of a book
ka	架	Frames
kabu	株	Stocks, Nursery trees
kagetsu	ヶ月	Month-long periods (see also: gatsu)
kakoku	ヶ国	Countries
kakokugo	ヶ国語	(National) languages
kaku	画	strokes in kanji
kai	回	Occurrences, number of times (see also: do)
kai	階	Number of floors, storeys
kan	艦	Warships
ken	件	Abstract matters and cases
ken	軒	Houses
ki	機	Aircraft,machines
ki	基	Grave, Wreath, CPU, Reactor
kire	切れ	Slices (of bread, cake, etc)
ko	個	Military units, articles
ko	戸	Houses
kō	校	Schools
ku	区	Sections, city districts
ku	句	Haiku, Senryu
kuchi	口	(Bank) accounts, Donation
kumi	組	Groups
kurasu	クラス	School classes
kyaku	脚	Desks, Chairs
kyoku	曲	Pieces of music
kyoku	局	Boardgame matches(Chess, Igo, Shogi, Mahjong)
mai	枚	Thin, flat objects, sheets of paper, shirts, photographs
maki	巻	Rolls, scrolls
maku	幕	theatricals' acts
mei	名	People (polite)
men	面	Mirrors, Boards for Boardgame(Chess, Igo, Shogi), Stages of computer game
mon	門	Cannons
nichi	日	Days of the month (but see table of exceptions below)
nin	人	People (but see table of exceptions below)
peeji	ページ、頁	Pages
rin	輪	Wheels, Flower
ryō	両	Railway's cars
sai	才、歳	Years of age
sao	棹	Chest of drawers, Flags
satsu	冊	Books
seki	席	Seats, Rakugo show, (Drinking) party
shina	品	Parts of a meal, courses (see also: hin)
shou	勝	wins (sumo bouts)
shu	首	Tanka
shurui	種類	Various types of thing
soku	足	Pairs of footwear or pants
tai	体	Images, person's remains
tawara	俵	Bags
tei	イ	Nights of a stay
ten	点	Points
tō	頭	Large animals, cattle, elephants. 頭 means "head"
tsū	通	Letters
tsūwa	通話	Telephone calls (see also: hon)
wa	羽	Birds, rabbits
wa	把	Bundles
zen	膳	Pairs of chopsticks

Exceptions

The traditional numbers are used by young children to give their ages instead of using the age counter sai.

Some counters, notably nichi 日 and nin 人 use the traditional numerals for small numbers; exceptional cases for these counters are given in the table below.

Counters beginning with h~ (including fu~) undergo regular changes in sound, when preceded by the numerals 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10. The table below illustrates the process for hon'\' 本 but the same changes apply to fun 分, hai 杯, hiki'' 匹 etc.

Numeral nichi 日 nin 人 hon 本 kai 階
1 tsuitachi hitori ippon ikkai
2 futsuka futari
3 mikka sanbon
4 yokka yonin
5 itsuka
6 muika roppon
7 nanoka shichinin
8 yōka happon
9 kokonoka
10 tōka juppon
14 jūyokka
20 hatsuka
24 nijūyokka

Numeral	nichi 日	nin 人	hon 本	kai 階
1	tsuitachi	hitori	ippon	ikkai
2	futsuka	futari
3	mikka		sanbon
4	yokka	yonin
5	itsuka
6	muika		roppon
7	nanoka	shichinin
8	yōka		happon
9	kokonoka
10	tōka		juppon
14	jūyokka
20	hatsuka
24	nijūyokka