Grammar

Japanese Counter Words (助数詞)

数N5–N3

Japanese uses special counter words (助数詞, josūshi) when counting objects. The counter you use depends on the shape, size, or category of the thing being counted — not a rule English has.

Why Japanese has counters

In English you say "three books", "three dogs", "three cars" — the same number word works for everything. Japanese attaches a counter suffix to the number based on the object category. Using the wrong counter sounds as unnatural as saying "three sheets of dogs" in English.

本を三冊買った。ほんをさんさつかった。I bought three books. (冊 = counter for bound volumes)

犬を二匹飼っています。いぬをにひきかっています。I keep two dogs. (匹 = counter for small animals)

電車が一台来た。でんしゃがいちだいきた。One train came. (台 = counter for machines/vehicles)

The 12 most essential counters

本 (ほん) — long, thin objects (pens, bottles, rivers, phone calls). 枚 (まい) — flat, thin objects (paper, plates, stamps, shirts). 冊 (さつ) — bound books and magazines. 匹 (ひき) — small animals. 頭 (とう) — large animals. 羽 (わ) — birds and rabbits. 台 (だい) — machines, vehicles, furniture. 個 (こ) — small, compact objects. 人 (にん) — people (ひとり=1, ふたり=2, then にん). 杯 (はい) — cups and bowls of liquid. 階 (かい) — floors of a building. 回 (かい) — number of times (occurrences).

ビールを二杯飲んだ。ビールをにはいのんだ。I drank two glasses of beer.

三階に住んでいます。さんがいにすんでいます。I live on the third floor.

日本語を五回練習した。にほんごをごかいれんしゅうした。I practised Japanese five times.

Sound changes with counters

Many counters change pronunciation depending on the number. 本: いっぽん (1), にほん (2), さんぼん (3), よんほん (4), ごほん (5), ろっぽん (6), ななほん (7), はっぽん (8), きゅうほん (9), じゅっぽん (10). 枚: regular (いちまい, にまい...). 人: ひとり (1), ふたり (2), さんにん (3)...

鉛筆を六本ください。えんぴつをろっぽんください。Please give me six pencils. (ろっぽん not ろくほん)

クラスに三人の留学生がいる。クラスにさんにんのりゅうがくせいがいる。There are three exchange students in the class.

Common mistakes

Wrong

犬を三本飼っている

Right

犬を三匹飼っている

本 is for long, thin objects. Animals use 匹 (small) or 頭 (large).

Wrong

ろくほん (6 long objects)

Right

ろっぽん

本 undergoes sound changes: 1本=いっぽん, 3本=さんぼん, 6本=ろっぽん, 8本=はっぽん, 10本=じゅっぽん.

Wrong

さんにん for 1-2 people

Right

ひとり (1 person), ふたり (2 people)

The counters for 1 and 2 people are irregular and must be memorised separately.

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Frequently asked questions

What are Japanese counter words?

Japanese counter words (助数詞) are suffixes attached to numbers when counting. The counter changes based on the shape or category of the object: 本 for long thin things, 枚 for flat things, 匹 for small animals, 台 for machines, 冊 for books, 人 for people.

What counter do I use when I don't know the right one?

Use 個 (こ) as a general-purpose counter for small, compact objects. It is not always perfectly natural but it is almost never wrong. For people always use 人/にん.

Why do some counters change sound?

Japanese follows regular phonological rules — certain number+counter combinations undergo sound changes (rendaku or gemination) to make them easier to pronounce. いっぽん, さんぼん, ろっぽん, はっぽん are the standard changes for 本.