Japanese counter word
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In Japanese counter words or counters (josūshi 助数詞) are used along with numbers to count objects and events.
In Japanese, as in Chinese and Korean, 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. The counters are not independent words and always appear with a number before them.
Counter words are similar in function to the word "sheet" in "two sheets of paper" or "cup" in "two cups of coffee", but in Japanese, all nouns require a counter. In this sense, all Japanese nouns are mass nouns. 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 the 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 (個) 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 humorous, 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, humorously suggests a person overtowered by massive obstacles.
Some of the more common counters may be used instead of less common ones. For example, 匹 hiki (see below) is often used for all animals, regardless of size. However, many speakers will correct themselves and use the traditionally "correct" counter, 頭 tō, when speaking of, for example, horses.
Just as in English, different counters for the same thing can be used to convey different meanings. In English, one can say one loaf of bread or one slice of bread, and the referent is different. In Japanese, the same effect is made by saying パン一斤 pan ikkin, literally "bread one-loaf" versus パン一枚 pan ichimai, literally "bread one-flat piece".
| Contents |
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 |
| 20 | 二十 | hatachi (used for age) |
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 | Sections of a play |
| ban | 晩 | Nights |
| ban | 番 | Sumo matches, (Sports) matches |
| bi | 尾 | Fishes (obscure; usually hiki is used instead) |
| bu | 部 | Copies of a magazine or newspaper |
| bun | 文 | Sentences |
| chaku | 着, 著 | Suits of clothing |
| chō | 挺 | Guns, 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 |
| chōme | 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; also degrees (see also: kai) |
| fuku | 服 | Bowls of matcha (powdered green tea); packets or doses of powdered medicine |
| fuku | 幅 | Hanging scrolls (kakejiku) |
| furi | 振 | Swords |
| gatsu | 月 | Months of the year (see also: kagetsu) |
| go | 語 | Words, languages |
| gon, also koto | 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, octopuses, crabs |
| hai | 敗 | losses (sumo bouts) |
| hari | 張 | Umbrellas, Parasols |
| hashira | 柱 | Gods, Memorial tablets |
| hatsu | 発 | Gunshots |
| heya | 部屋 | Rooms |
| hiki, piki | 匹 | Small animals, insects, fish |
| hin, pin | 品 | Parts of a meal, courses (see also: shina) |
| ho, po | 歩 | Number of (foot)steps |
| hon | 本 | Long, thin, cylindrical objects: ties, pencils, bottles, guitars; also, metaphorically, telephone calls, movies (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 | Graves, wreaths, CPUs, reactors |
| kire | 切れ | Slices (of bread, cake, etc.; pieces of sushi) |
| ko | 個,箇,个, or ヶ | General measure word, used when there is no specific counter |
| ko | 戸 | Houses |
| kō | 校 | Schools |
| ku | 区 | Sections, city districts |
| ku | 句 | Haiku, Senryu |
| kuchi | 口 | (Bank) accounts, donations |
| 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); radio stations |
| mai | 枚 | Thin, flat objects, sheets of paper, shirts, photographs |
| maki | 巻 | Rolls, scrolls |
| maku | 幕 | Theatrical acts |
| mei | 名 | People (polite) |
| men | 面 | Mirrors, boards for Boardgames (chess, Igo, Shogi), stages of computer games |
| mon | 門 | Cannons |
| mon | 問 | Questions |
| nichi | 日 | Days of the month (but see table of exceptions below) |
| nin | 人 | People (but see table of exceptions below) |
| pēji | ページ, 頁 | Pages |
| rin | 輪 | Wheels, Flower |
| ryō | 両 | Railway cars |
| sai | 才、歳 | Years of age |
| sao | 棹 | Chests of drawers, flags |
| satsu | 冊 | Books |
| seki | 席 | Seats, Rakugo shows, (drinking) parties |
| shina | 品 | Parts of a meal, courses (see also: hin) |
| shō | 勝 | wins (sumo bouts) |
| shu | 首 | Tanka |
| shurui or shu | 種類 or 種 | Various types of things |
| soku | 足 | Pairs of footwear or pants |
| tai | 体 | Images, person's remains |
| tawara | 俵 | Bags of rice |
| ten | 点 | Points, dots |
| tō | 頭 | Large animals, cattle, elephants (頭 means "head") |
| tsū | 通 | Letters |
| tsūwa | 通話 | Telephone calls (see also: hon) |
| toki | 時 | Time periods, a sixth of either day or night (in the traditional, obsolete way of telling time) |
| wa | 羽 | Birds, rabbits |
| wa | 把 | Bundles |
| zen | 膳 | Pairs of chopsticks; bowls of rice |
Exceptions
The traditional numbers are used by and for 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 | sangai | |
| 4 | yokka | yonin | ||
| 5 | itsuka | |||
| 6 | muika | roppon | ||
| 7 | nanoka | shichinin | ||
| 8 | yōka | happon | ||
| 9 | kokonoka | |||
| 10 | tōka | jippon** | jikkai** | |
| 14 | jūyokka | |||
| 20 | hatsuka | |||
| 24 | nijūyokka |
* But when counting number of days rather than days of the month, ichinichi is used.
** Jū is changed into /jiQ/ (じっ) before voiceless plosive or /s/