Counters — Counting Objects
When counting physical objects, a number cannot stand alone; you must attach a 'counter' suffix that categorizes the object's shape, nature, or type. Using a bare number to count objects is ungrammatical.
Structure
[Noun] + を + [Number][Counter] + [Verb]
Examples
ビールを三本ください。
Biiru o sanbon kudasai.
Three (bottles of) beer, please.
ビールを (beer, object) + 三 (3) + 本 (counter for long/cylindrical things) + ください (please)
犬が一匹います。
Inu ga ippiki imasu.
There is one dog.
犬が (dog) + 一 (1) + 匹 (counter for small animals) → 一匹 = ippiki + います
切手を三枚ください。
Kitte o sanmai kudasai.
Three stamps, please.
切手を (stamps) + 三 (3) + 枚 (counter for flat, thin things) + ください (please)
• つ (general/abstract): 1 ひとつ, 2 ふたつ, 3 みっつ, 4 よっつ, 5 いつつ, 6 むっつ, 7 ななつ, 8 やっつ, 9 ここのつ, 10 とお. • 人 (people, にん): irregular 1人 ひとり, 2人 ふたり; then 3人 さんにん, 4人 よにん (drop the n). • 本 (long/cylindrical, ほん): 1本 いっぽん, 3本 さんぼん, 6本 ろっぽん, 8本 はっぽん, 10本 じゅっぽん. • 枚 (flat/thin, まい): paper, shirts, plates — stable: 1枚 いちまい, 3枚 さんまい. • 個 (small/compact, こ): 1個 いっこ, 6個 ろっこ, 8個 はっこ, 10個 じゅっこ. • 匹 (small animals, ひき): 1匹 いっぴき, 3匹 さんびき, 6匹 ろっぴき, 8匹 はっぴき. • 冊 (bound books, さつ): 1冊 いっさつ, 8冊 はっさつ, 10冊 じゅっさつ. • 台 (machines/vehicles, だい): stable — 1台 いちだい, 2台 にだい. • 階 (floors, かい): 1階 いっかい, 3階 さんがい, 6階 ろっかい, 8階 はっかい (note 3階 = さんがい). • 杯 (cupfuls/bowlfuls, はい): 1杯 いっぱい, 3杯 さんばい, 6杯 ろっぱい.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones Counters is tested against.
vs つ vs 個
Both count general small objects. つ is the native series (ひとつ〜とお, up to 10 only). 個 (いっこ〜) is Sino-Japanese, works for any number, and sounds slightly more precise/technical.
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