When you count something in English, maybe it isn’t too hard.
That’s because the rules are not complicated.
However, when you count in Japanese, it might be harder because the way you count changes depending on what you are counting.
There also are a number of complicated rules.
For instance, one dog, two dogs, three dogs is いぬがいっぴき、いぬがにひき、いぬがさんびき.
However, one person, two people, three people is ひとり、ふたり、さんにん.
In this article, I’m going to teach you Japanese counters.
things
When we count things, we use こ(ko).
こ is useful a one because you can count almost anything with こ.
Pronunciation rules:
こ（ko) is k sound.
When we use k sound counter, we add っ to 1, 6, 8 and 10.
| １ | いっこ(ikko) |
| ２ | にこ |
| ３ | さんこ |
| ４ | よんこ |
| ５ | ごこ |
| ６ | ろっこ(rokko) |
| ７ | ななこ |
| ８ | はちこ or（はっこ（hakko）） |
| ９ | きゅうこ |
| １０ | じゅっこ（zyukko）or（じっこ） |
Practice
りんごが なんこ ありますか。（How many apples are there?）
Answer
ろっこ。
animals
When we count bugs or small animals that we can hold, we use ひき (hiki).
For example, いぬが 2ひき います。 There are two dogs.
There is a pronunciation rule.
ひき(hiki) is h sound.
When we use h sound counter, 1, 6, 8 and 10 changes to っp sound.
| １ | いっぴき (ippiki) |
| ２ | にひき |
| ３ | さんびき (sanbiki) |
| ４ | よんひき |
| ５ | ごひき |
| ６ | ろっぴき(roppiki) |
| ７ | ななひき |
| ８ | はっぴき (happiki) or はちひき |
| ９ | きゅうひき |
| １０ | じゅっぴき（zyuppiki）or（じっぴき） |
Practice
いぬが なんひき いますか。(How many dogs are there?)
Answer
はっぴき or はちひき。
liquid in a cup
When we count liquid in a cup, we use はい (hai).
For instance, ビールを 2はい のんだ。 I drank two cups of beer.
はい (hai) is h sound, so 1,6, 8, 10 changes to っぱい.
| １ | いっぱい (ippai) |
| ２ | にはい |
| ３ | さんばい (sanbai) |
| ４ | よんはい |
| ５ | ごはい |
| ６ | ろっぱい(roppai) |
| ７ | ななはい |
| ８ | はっぱい (happai) |
| ９ | きゅうはい |
| １０ | じゅっぱい（zyuppai）or（じっぱい） |
Practice
ジュースが なんはい ありますか。(How many cups of Juice are there?)
Answer
はっぱい。
books
When we count books, we use さつ (satsu).
さつ (satsu) is s sound and when we use s sound counters, we add っ to 1, 8 and 10.
| １ | いっさつ (issatsu) |
| ２ | にさつ |
| ３ | さんさつ |
| ４ | よんさつ |
| ５ | ごさつ |
| ６ | ろくさつ |
| ７ | ななさつ |
| ８ | はっさつ (hassatsu) or はちさつ |
| ９ | きゅうさつ |
| １０ | じゅっさつ（zyussatsu）or（じっさつ） |
Practice
ほんが なんさつ ありますか。(How many books are there?)
Answer
いっさつ。
people
When we count people, we use にん (nin).
However, one person and two people are very special, ひとり、ふたり.
Also, 4にん isn’t よんにん.
4にん is よにん.
If I write よんにん in English alphabet, it is yonnin.
The first n sound will drop and it becomes よにん.
(yonnin→yonin)
| １ | ひとり (hitori) |
| ２ | ふたり (futari) |
| ３ | さんにん |
| ４ | よにん |
| ５ | ごにん |
| ６ | ろくにん |
| ７ | ななにん |
| ８ | はちにん |
| ９ | きゅうにん |
| １０ | じゅうにん |
Practice
おとこのこは なんにん いますか。(How many boys are there?)
Answer
ふたり
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