Counters
From WagaWiki
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containers i.e. a cup of tea<br> | containers i.e. a cup of tea<br> | ||
==Unusual and surprising counters== | ==Unusual and surprising counters== | ||
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| + | 本(ほん) is the counter for "long things" but it is also the counter for ''films''. This is because films were long strips of film (stored in reels). | ||
| + | |||
| + | 羽(わ) is the counter for birds, but it is also the official counter for rabbits (for which there are a few explanations). Although it is the official counter 匹(ひき) is also correct, and probably used more frequently. | ||
[[Category:Grammar]] | [[Category:Grammar]] | ||
Revision as of 10:26, 20 August 2006
Contents |
Introduction
Counters are a special form of suffix used in Japanese when counting. They often have sound changes or irregular words in the series.
For example 人(にん) nin is a counter for people. Counting down we have ...
Five people : 五人 (ごにん) gonin'
Four people : 四人 (よんにん) yonnin' (N.B. NOT shinin!)
Three people : 三人 (さんにん) sannin'
You've seen the pattern so far - what do you suppose "Two people" and "One person" would be?
Two people : 二人 (ふたり) futari'
One person : 一人;独り (ひとり) hitori'
Generic Counters
Japanese has counters for almost everything but there are two 'generic' ways of counting.
Counting objects with つ
These use the old Japanese counting numbers (before influenced by China).
1 一つ (ひとつ) 2 二つ (ふたつ) 3 三つ (みっつ) 4 四つ (よっつ) 5 五つ (いつつ) 6 六つ (むっつ) 7 七つ (ななつ) 8 八つ (やっつ) 9 九つ (ここのつ) 10 十 (とお)
Unfortunately that's where they stop (actually there are some higher numbers but they are for specific circumstances not for general use).
リンゴをふたつください。ringo o futatsu kudasai.
Two apples, please.
Counting objects with こ
個 ko is a general counter for objects. If you can't remember what the proper counter is you will at least be understood with こ.
リンゴを二個ください。ringo o niko kudasai.
Two apples please.
Overview of some different counting words
|
Counting word |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Asking word |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
General |
つ |
ひとつ |
ふたつ |
みっつ |
よっつ |
いつつ |
むっつ |
ななつ |
やっつ |
ここのつ |
とお |
いくつ |
|
Humans |
人 (にん) |
ひとり |
ふたり |
さんにん |
よにん |
ごにん |
ろくにん |
しちにん |
はちにん |
きゅうにん |
じゅうにん |
なんにん |
|
General |
個 (こ) |
いっこ |
にこ |
さんこ |
よんこ |
ごこ |
ろっこ |
ななこ |
はっこ |
きゅうこ |
じゅっこ |
なんこ |
|
Long things |
本 (ほん) |
いっぽん |
にほん |
さんぼん |
よんほん |
ごほん |
ろっぽん |
ななほん |
はっぽん |
きゅうほん |
じゅっぽん |
なんぼん |
|
Flat things |
枚 (まい) |
いちまい |
にまい |
さんまい |
よんまい |
ごまい |
ろくまい |
ななまい |
はちまい |
きゅうまい |
じゅうまい |
なんまい |
|
Books, Tacked things |
冊 (さつ) |
いっさつ |
にさつ |
さんさつ |
よんさつ |
ごさつ |
ろくさつ |
ななさつ |
はっさつ |
きゅうさつ |
じゅっさつ |
なんさつ |
|
Machines |
台 (だい) |
いちだい |
にだい |
さんだい |
よんだい |
ごだい |
ろくだい |
なんだい |
はちだい |
きゅうだい |
じゅうだい |
なんだい |
|
Animals (small) |
匹 (ひき) |
いっぴき |
にひき |
さんびき |
よんひき |
ごひき |
ろっぴき |
ななひき |
はっぴき |
きゅうひき |
じゅっぴき |
なんびき |
|
Containers (full) |
杯 (はい) |
いっぱい |
にはい |
さんばい |
よんはい |
ごはい |
ろっぱい |
ななはい |
はっぱい |
きゅうはい |
じゅっぱい |
なんばい |
|
Shoes, socks |
足 (そく) |
いっそく |
にそく |
さんぞく |
よんそく |
ごそく |
ろくそく |
ななそく |
はっそく |
きゅうそく |
じゅっそく |
なんぞく |
|
Stories |
階 (かい) |
いっかい |
にかい |
さんかい |
よんかい |
ごかい |
ろっかい |
ななかい |
はっかい |
きゅうかい |
じゅっかい |
なんかい |
|
Age |
歳, 才(さい) |
いっさい |
にさい |
さんさい |
よんさい |
ごさい |
ろくさい |
ななさい |
はっさい |
きゅうさい |
じゅっさい |
なんさい |
long things i.e. rulers
flat things i.e. paper
tacked things i.e. books or magazines
containers i.e. a cup of tea
Unusual and surprising counters
本(ほん) is the counter for "long things" but it is also the counter for films. This is because films were long strips of film (stored in reels).
羽(わ) is the counter for birds, but it is also the official counter for rabbits (for which there are a few explanations). Although it is the official counter 匹(ひき) is also correct, and probably used more frequently.
