Japanese Counter Words Just as in English, different ...

1 Just as in English, different counters for the same thing can be used to convey different Japanese Counter Words 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 pan ikkin, literally "bread one-loaf" versus pan ichimai, literally "bread one-flat In Japanese , Counter Words or counters (jos shi) ( ) are used along with piece". numbers to count things, actions, and events. Table of traditional numerals 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 Table of Traditional Numerals ( ), literally express the idea "two dogs" in Japanese one must say inu nihiki Numeral Japanese Pronunciation (R maji) Pronunciation (Hiragana). "dog two-small-animal"). Here inu means "dog", ni is the number 2, and hiki 1 hitotsu.

2 Is the Counter for small animals. The counters are not independent Words and always appear with a number before them. 2 futatsu . Counter Words are similar in function to the word "sheet" in "two sheets of paper" or 3 mittsu . "cup" in "two cups of coffee", but in Japanese , (almost) all nouns require a Counter . In this sense, all Japanese nouns are mass nouns. This grammatical feature can result in 4 yottsu . 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 5 itsutsu . 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 6 muttsu . nouns by themselves. For example, "four apples" is ringo yonko ( ) 7 nanatsu . where ko ( ) is the Counter ), but can also be expressed using the traditional 8 yattsu.

3 Numeral four as ringo yottsu ( ). These traditional numerals cannot be used to count all nouns however; some, including people and animals, require the 9 kokonotsu . proper Counter . 10 t . Counters can also be intentionally misused for humorous, sarcastic, or insulting effects. 20 hatachi (used for age) . For example, one might say (Otoko ippiki nano ni; "I am only one "). Using the Counter hiki ( ), the Counter for small animals, humorously suggests that the person is overpowered by massive obstacles. Some of the more common counters may be used instead of less common ones. For example, hiki (see below) is often used for all animals, regardless of size. However, many speakers will correct themselves and use the traditionally "correct" Counter , . t , when speaking of horses, for example. Japanese Counter Words Japonais List of Japanese Counters This list also includes some counters and usages that are rarely used or not widely known.

4 List of Japanese Counters Pronunciation Japanese Use ba Scene of a play ban Nights (see also: ya). ban Sports matches bi Small fish and shrimps (used in the fish trade; most people say hiki instead). bu Copies of a magazine or a newspaper bun Sentences by Seconds chaku Suits of clothing (see also: mai). ch Guns, sticks of ink, palanquins, rickshaws, violins ch Tools, scissors, saws, trousers, pistols, cakes of tofu, town blocks ch Town blocks dai Generations, periods, reigns dai Cars, bicycles, machines, mechanical devices, household appliances danraku Paragraphs do/tabi Occurrences, number of times (see also: kai). fuku, puku Bowls of matcha (powdered green tea); packets or doses of powdered medicine fuku, puku Hanging scrolls (kakejiku). fun, pun Minutes furi Swords Japanese Counter Words 2/8 Japonais gatsu/tsuki Months of the year. Month-long periods when read tsuki (see also: kagetsu). go Words gon/koto Words gu Suits of armour, sets of furniture gy Lines of text haku Nights of a stay hai Cups and glasses of drink, spoonfuls, cuttlefish, octopuses, crabs, squid, abalone, boats (slang).

5 Hai Losses (sports bouts). hari Umbrellas, parasols, tents hashira Gods, memorial tablets hatsu, patsu Gunshots, bullets, aerial fireworks heya Rooms hiki, piki Small animals, insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians hin, pin Parts of a meal, courses (see also: shina). ho, po Number of (foot)steps Long, thin objects: rivers, roads, ties, pencils, bottles, guitars; also, metaphorically, telephone calls, movies (see also: ts wa). hon, pon,bon Although also means "book", the Counter for books is satsu. ji Letters, Kanji, Kana ji Children. As in "father of two (children)", etc. ji Hours of the day jikan Hour-long periods j Tatami mats. The Kanji is also read tatami and is the same one used for the mats. The room size of a washitsu in Japan is given as a number of mats, for example 4 j . ka Frames Japanese Counter Words 3/8 Japonais kabu Stocks; nursery trees is normally abbreviated using a small Katakana in modern Japanese .

6 Month-long periods (see also: gatsu). kagetsu . Alternatively , Hiragana , small Katakana and full-size Katakana & can also be seen, but only is frequent. kakoku Countries kakokugo (National) languages kaku Strokes in Kanji kai Occurrences, number of times (see also: do). kai Number of floors, stories kan Pieces of nigiri-zushi kan Warships ken Abstract matters and cases ken Houses ki Aircraft, machines ki Graves, wreaths, CPUs, reactors, elevators, dams kire Slices (of bread, cake, sashimi etc.). ko or General measure word, used when there is no specific Counter . is also used for military units. ko Houses ( means "door"). k Schools k Drafts of a manuscript koma Frames, panels. is virtually not used nowadays. ku Sections, city districts ku Haiku, senry . kuchi (Bank) accounts, donations ( means "opening" or "entrance"). Japanese Counter Words 4/8 Japonais kumi Groups, a pair of people (twins, a husband and a wife, dancers, etc.)

7 Kurasu School classes kyaku Desks, chairs, long-stemmed glasses kyaku Pairs of cup and saucer kyoku Pieces of music kyoku Board game matches (chess, Igo, Shogi, Mahjong); radio stations, television stations mai Thin, flat objects, sheets of paper, photographs, plates(dishware), articles of clothing (see also: chaku). maki Rolls, scrolls maku Theatrical acts mei People (polite) ( means "name"). men Mirrors, boards for board games (chess, Igo, Shogi), stages of computer games, walls of a room, tennis courts, mon Cannons mon Questions nen Years, school years (grades); not years of age nichi Days of the month (but see table of exceptions below). nin People (but see table of exceptions below). ninmae Food portions (without exceptions, unlike nin above). p ji Pages rin Wheels, Flowers ry Railway cars sai or Years of age sao Chests of drawers, flags satsu Books Japanese Counter Words 5/8 Japonais seki Seats, Rakugo shows, (drinking) parties seki Ships shina Parts of a meal, courses (see also: hin).

8 Sha used for businesses, (gaisha). sh Wins (sports bouts). shu Tankas (small Japanese poems). sh Weeks shurui/shu or Various types of things soku Pairs of footwear, pairs of socks, stockings, and tabis. tai Images, person's remains tawara Bags of rice teki Drops of liquid ten Points, dots t Large animals, cattle, elephants ( means "head"). ts Letters ts wa Telephone calls (see also: hon). toki Time periods, a sixth of either day or night (in the traditional, obsolete way of telling time). See also: jikan tsubo Commonly used unit of area equal to square metres. wa Birds, rabbits* (because of their ears); means "feather" or "wing". wa Bundles ya Nights (see also: ban). zen Pairs of chopsticks; bowls of rice Japanese Counter Words 6/8 Japonais Exceptions *When counting the number of days rather than days of the month, ichinichi is used. But ippi is also heard. * Japanese Buddhist monks weren't allowed to eat any meat other than birds, but they liked rabbit meat so much that they came up with contrived evidence that rabbits are ( / ).

9 **J is replaced by either ju- or ji- followed by a doubled actually birds, their ears being like unusable wings. Nowadays hiki is the usual Counter . consonant before the voiceless consonants ( , /t k s/); furthermore, p is used instead of h, as noted above. Ji- is the older form, but it has been replaced by ju- in spoken The traditional numbers are used by and for young children to give their ages, instead of language by young generations. the usual age Counter sai. **In remote rural areas (ie. Northern Honshu and Eastern Hokkaido) older speakers might use yottari. Some counters, notably nichi and nin , use the traditional numerals for some small numbers, usually one through three; exceptional cases for these counters are given in the table below. Note that ("third floor") can be read either sankai or sangai, while . ("three times") can only be read sankai. Others include and and are usually restricted to certain phrases.

10 Ordinal numbers Futatabi (two times, another time), although normally written instead of , In general, the Counter Words mentioned above are cardinal numbers and in that sense, is very common though. they indicate a quantity. To transform a Counter word into an ordinal number that Counters beginning with h~ (including fu~) undergo (almost) regular changes in sound, denotes a position in a sequence, me ( ) is added to the end of the Counter . Thus when preceded by the numerals 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10. The table below illustrates the "one time" would be translated as ikkai ( ), whereas "the first time" would be process for hon but the same changes apply to fun , hai , hiki etc. translated as ikkaime ( ). Exceptions This rule is inconsistent, however, as counters without the me suffix are often used Numeral nichi nin hon kai interchangeably with cardinal and ordinal meanings. For example, sankai ( ). 1 tsuitachi* hitori ippon ikkai can mean both "three floors" and "third floor".