- When in doubt, use the native numbers ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ… They work for most things.
- People: 〜にん (but ひとり, ふたり). Flat things: 〜まい. Long things: 〜ほん.
- Watch for sound changes with 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10: いっぽん, さんぼん, ろっぽん.
- Word order: thing + を + number + verb: りんごをみっつかいました.
How counters work
In English you say “three sheets of paper” or “two cups of tea”. Japanese does this with everything: the counter depends on the shape or type of the thing. The counter attaches directly to the number.
- りんごをみっつかいましたringo o mittsu kaimashitaI bought three apples.
- かみをにまいくださいkami o nimai kudasaiTwo sheets of paper, please.
- がくせいがさんにんいますgakusei ga sannin imasuThere are three students.
The 12 most useful counters
| Counter | Used for | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜つ | general things (1–9) | ひとつ | ふたつ | みっつ |
| 〜にん (人) | people | ひとり | ふたり | さんにん |
| 〜まい (枚) | flat: paper, tickets, shirts, plates | いちまい | にまい | さんまい |
| 〜ほん (本) | long: bottles, pens, umbrellas | いっぽん | にほん | さんぼん |
| 〜ひき (匹) | small animals | いっぴき | にひき | さんびき |
| 〜さつ (冊) | books, notebooks | いっさつ | にさつ | さんさつ |
| 〜だい (台) | machines, cars, bikes | いちだい | にだい | さんだい |
| 〜こ (個) | small objects, eggs, fruit | いっこ | にこ | さんこ |
| 〜はい (杯) | cups, glasses, bowls | いっぱい | にはい | さんばい |
| 〜かい (回) | times, occurrences | いっかい | にかい | さんかい |
| 〜かい (階) | floors of a building | いっかい | にかい | さんがい |
| 〜さい (歳) | age | いっさい | にさい | さんさい |
The sound changes, explained
Counters starting with k, s, t, h, p often change after 1, 6, 8 and 10 (a small っ appears), and h-counters often become b or p after 3. Listen to the pattern with 本:
- いっぽんippon1 (long thing)
- にほんnihon2
- さんぼんsanbon3
- よんほんyonhon4
- ごほんgohon5
- ろっぽんroppon6
- ななほんnanahon7
- はっぽんhappon8
- きゅうほんkyūhon9
- じゅっぽんjuppon10
Counting people
- ひとりhitorione person
- ふたりfutaritwo people
- さんにんsanninthree people
- よにんyoninfour peopleNot よんにん.
- なんめいさまですかnanmei-sama desu kaHow many people? (restaurant)めい (名) is a polite people counter.
Asking “how many?”
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| いくつ | how many (things) |
| なんにん | how many people |
| なんまい | how many (flat) |
| なんぼん | how many (long) |
| なんかい | how many times / which floor |
Counters build on the Japanese numbers. Animal counters are covered in animals in Japanese.
Two bottles of water:
Three people:
One glass of beer:
Two tickets:
Frequently asked questions
What are Japanese counters?
Counters are suffixes attached to numbers that depend on what is being counted: 人 (nin) for people, 枚 (mai) for flat objects, 本 (hon) for long objects, 匹 (hiki) for small animals and many more.
How many counters are there in Japanese?
Hundreds exist, but around a dozen cover most everyday situations. When unsure, the native numbers ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ work for most things.
Why does hon change to bon and pon?
Sound changes make numbers easier to pronounce: いっぽん (1), さんぼん (3), ろっぽん (6), はっぽん (8), じゅっぽん (10).