Where is the counter?

[astaroth]

For some reasons I was wondering what is the counter for stars et similia and I remembered to have watched the dorama 空から降る一億の星 ... and I just noticed there is no counter for 星 in this sentence.
Why is it so? Are there situations when counters are not used?

[keatonatron]

I'm guessing 一億 works the same as 一つ (e.g. 一つの星).

If you want a counter, 個 should work just fine (as it's kind of the universal counter for when you don't know which one to use).

[Yudan Taiteki]

Above 10, counters are not necessary if the counter would be the 一つ、二つ、三つ series. In other words, いすが３０あります is fine, 本が３０あります I think is odd.

[astaroth]

Thanks, Keat and Yudan, that explains.
A quick question I thought the generic counter is つ and didn't know about 個：do they work the same? Are they interchangeable?

[keatonatron]

Thanks, Keat and Yudan, that explains.
A quick question I thought the generic counter is つ and didn't know about 個：do they work the same? Are they interchangeable?

uhhhhhhhh.....

I don't really know how to explain that one

Xつ is the traditional Japanese counter. 個 is a counter adapted from Chinese.

Kind of like how ふた(ニ) is the Japanese reading and に（ニ） is the Chinese reading yet we still use both.

個 is officially for "small objects," so for a small number of items (<10) that aren't exactly small, I would use Xつ (like for food. Is ramen a "small object"?? What about a sandwich?).

For other items that are obviously "small objects," or items over 10 that you don't know the real counter for, 個 is perhaps preferable (e.g. cell phone, stapler, rock, etc.).


Keep in mind that if a more fitting counter exists (e.g. 本 for long, skinny things, 枚 for flat things, etc.), the more appropriate counter should be used.

[astaroth]

Thanks, Keat.
I'd have another question though, what's the pronunciation of 個? I looked on my dictionary and found こ (though this seems to be for military units) and ち、つ、か without further explanation.

[yukamina]

The counter 個 is read こ. Rikaichan seems to give somewhat of a breakdown of the readings.