Japanese counters
Japanese doesn't say "three bottles". It says something closer to "bottle-three", using a counter word chosen for the shape of the thing. The counters below cover nearly everything a beginner needs, and every irregular form is written out in full.
Practice this These are quick quizzes, and the cards you miss come back until you get them right.
The pattern behind most of them
Where a counter starts with h, it usually becomes p after 1, 6, 8 and 10, and b after 3. Learn it once for 本 and it also covers 杯 and 匹.
つ
つ is the all-purpose counter for things that have no special counter of their own. It only goes up to ten.
| 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 |
Watch out
These are native Japanese numbers, not the Chinese-derived ichi/ni/san. After ten you switch to the ordinary numbers.
人
人 counts people.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ひとり | hitori |
| 2 | ふたり | futari |
| 3 | さんにん | sannin |
| 4 | よにん | yonin |
| 5 | ごにん | gonin |
| 6 | ろくにん | rokunin |
| 7 | しちにん / ななにん | shichinin / nananin |
| 8 | はちにん | hachinin |
| 9 | きゅうにん | kyuunin |
| 10 | じゅうにん | juunin |
Watch out
One and two are completely irregular: hitori and futari, never ichinin or ninin. Four is yonin, never yoninin or shinin.
本
本 counts long, thin things, such as bottles, pens, umbrellas and trains, and also phone calls.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっぽん | ippon |
| 2 | にほん | nihon |
| 3 | さんぼん | sanbon |
| 4 | よんほん | yonhon |
| 5 | ごほん | gohon |
| 6 | ろっぽん | roppon |
| 7 | ななほん | nanahon |
| 8 | はっぽん | happon |
| 9 | きゅうほん | kyuuhon |
| 10 | じゅっぽん | juppon |
Watch out
The h sound becomes p after 1, 6, 8 and 10, and b after 3. This pattern repeats for 杯 and 匹, so learning it once covers three counters.
枚
枚 counts flat things, such as sheets of paper, tickets, shirts, plates and pizzas.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いちまい | ichimai |
| 2 | にまい | nimai |
| 3 | さんまい | sanmai |
| 4 | よんまい | yonmai |
| 5 | ごまい | gomai |
| 6 | ろくまい | rokumai |
| 7 | ななまい | nanamai |
| 8 | はちまい | hachimai |
| 9 | きゅうまい | kyuumai |
| 10 | じゅうまい | juumai |
Watch out
Every form is regular, so this is the easiest counter to start with.
個
個 counts small, compact objects, such as eggs, apples and boxes.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっこ | ikko |
| 2 | にこ | niko |
| 3 | さんこ | sanko |
| 4 | よんこ | yonko |
| 5 | ごこ | goko |
| 6 | ろっこ | rokko |
| 7 | ななこ | nanako |
| 8 | はっこ | hakko |
| 9 | きゅうこ | kyuuko |
| 10 | じゅっこ | jukko |
Watch out
The k sound doubles after 1, 6, 8 and 10 (ikko, rokko, hakko, jukko).
匹
匹 counts small animals, such as cats, dogs, fish and insects.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっぴき | ippiki |
| 2 | にひき | nihiki |
| 3 | さんびき | sanbiki |
| 4 | よんひき | yonhiki |
| 5 | ごひき | gohiki |
| 6 | ろっぴき | roppiki |
| 7 | ななひき | nanahiki |
| 8 | はっぴき | happiki |
| 9 | きゅうひき | kyuuhiki |
| 10 | じゅっぴき | juppiki |
Watch out
It follows the same h → p / b pattern as 本. Large animals, like horses and cattle, are counted with 頭 (tou) instead.
杯
杯 counts cups, glasses and bowls of something, such as coffee, beer or rice.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっぱい | ippai |
| 2 | にはい | nihai |
| 3 | さんばい | sanbai |
| 4 | よんはい | yonhai |
| 5 | ごはい | gohai |
| 6 | ろっぱい | roppai |
| 7 | ななはい | nanahai |
| 8 | はっぱい | happai |
| 9 | きゅうはい | kyuuhai |
| 10 | じゅっぱい | juppai |
Watch out
いっぱい can also mean 'full' or 'a lot', and the context tells you which one is meant.
冊
冊 counts bound things, such as books, magazines and notebooks.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっさつ | issatsu |
| 2 | にさつ | nisatsu |
| 3 | さんさつ | sansatsu |
| 4 | よんさつ | yonsatsu |
| 5 | ごさつ | gosatsu |
| 6 | ろくさつ | rokusatsu |
| 7 | ななさつ | nanasatsu |
| 8 | はっさつ | hassatsu |
| 9 | きゅうさつ | kyuusatsu |
| 10 | じゅっさつ | jussatsu |
台
台 counts machines and vehicles, such as cars, computers and washing machines.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いちだい | ichidai |
| 2 | にだい | nidai |
| 3 | さんだい | sandai |
| 4 | よんだい | yondai |
| 5 | ごだい | godai |
| 6 | ろくだい | rokudai |
| 7 | ななだい | nanadai |
| 8 | はちだい | hachidai |
| 9 | きゅうだい | kyuudai |
| 10 | じゅうだい | juudai |
回
回 counts how many times something happens, as in "three times a week".
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっかい | ikkai |
| 2 | にかい | nikai |
| 3 | さんかい | sankai |
| 4 | よんかい | yonkai |
| 5 | ごかい | gokai |
| 6 | ろっかい | rokkai |
| 7 | ななかい | nanakai |
| 8 | はっかい | hakkai |
| 9 | きゅうかい | kyuukai |
| 10 | じゅっかい | jukkai |
Watch out
階 (floors of a building) uses the same sounds, so 3階 is sangai or sankai.
歳 （歳 / 才）
歳 counts a person's age in years.
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっさい | issai |
| 2 | にさい | nisai |
| 3 | さんさい | sansai |
| 4 | よんさい | yonsai |
| 5 | ごさい | gosai |
| 6 | ろくさい | rokusai |
| 7 | ななさい | nanasai |
| 8 | はっさい | hassai |
| 9 | きゅうさい | kyuusai |
| 10 | じゅっさい | jussai |
Watch out
20 years old is はたち (hatachi), not nijuussai. 才 is the simpler everyday spelling.