JLPT N5 Lesson 19: Counting and Counter Words


Counting in Japanese

In the above picture, it is shown how to count from 1 to 20 in Japanese. Now we will see how to count upto 10000 easily by following some pattern. 1st pattern is, ten (10) is じゅう (juu), twenty(20) is にじゅう (ni-juu), thirty(30) is さんじゅう (san-juu) and so on up to ninety (90). And the 2nd pattern is, for example, ten (10) is じゅう (juu), eleven (11) is じゅういち (juu-ichi), twelve (12) is じゅうに (juu-ni). Using the same pattern with Twenty which is にじゅう (ni-juu), we can make twenty one = にじゅういち (ni-juu-ichi), twenty two = にじゅうに (ni-juu-ni), twenty three = にじゅうさん (ni-juu-san) and so on.
Now let us count 100 and above.
  • 100 = 百 [ひゃく]
  • 200 = 二百 [にひゃく]
  • 300 = 三百 [さんびゃく]
  • 400 = 四百 [よんひゃく]
  • 500 = 五百 [ごひゃく]
  • 600 = 六百 [ろっぴゃく]
  • 700 = 七百 [ななひゃく]
  • 800 = 八百 [はっぴゃく]
  • 900 = 九百 [きゅうひゃく]
  • 1000 = 千 [せん]
  • 2000 = 二千 [にせん]
  • 3000 = 三千 [さんぜん]
  • 4000 = 四千 [よんせん]
  • 5000 = 五千 [ごせん]
  • 6000 = 六千 [ろくせん]
  • 7000 = 七千 [ななせん]
  • 8000 = 八千 [はっせん]
  • 9000 = 九千 [きゅうせん]
  • 10000 = 一万 [いちまん]

Now let us count some money.

えん (円)

Counter for Money (お金)

  • いちえん (一円) [ichi-en] = One Yen
  • にえん (二円) = Two Yen
  • さんえん (三円) = Three Yen
  • よえん (四円) = Four Yen
  • ごえん (五円) = Five Yen
  • ろくえん (六円) = Six Yen
  • ななえん (七円) = Seven Yen
  • はちえん (八円) = Eight Yen
  • きゅうえん (九円) = Nine Yen
  • じゅうえん (十円) = Ten Yen
  • ひゃくえん (百円) = Hundred Yen
  • せんえん (千円) = Thousand Yen
  • いちまんえん (一万円) = Ten thousand Yen

Practice: how to say in Japanese -

(a) 99 Yen, (b) 350 Yen, (c) 5500 Yen and (d) 16550 Yen?

Ans:

(a) 99 Yen = きゆうじゅうきゅう円
(b) 350 Yen = さんびやくごじゅう円
(c) 5500 Yen = ごせんごひゃく円
(d) 16550 Yen = いちまんろくせんごひゃくごじゅう円

Japanese Counter Words

In Japanese, counter words used along with numbers to count things, actions, and events. There are many 'counter words' or 'じょすうし' used to express or counting the numbers of a noun. These counters are not independent words; they must appear with a numeric prefix. Counters are similar in function to the word "pieces" as in "two pieces of paper" or "cups" as in "two cups of coffee". In vocabulary list 10 most commonly used counter words were listed, which may necessary to learn for JLPT N5 and for JLPT N4.

Now let us explore other counter words and see how to count various kinds of things in Japanese.
*Note: Not all counter words and kanjis for some counter words discussed in this lesson may not be tested in JLPT N5 level.

General-purpose counter

つ

Counting the number of things or objects generally this counter is used.
  • 一つ [ひとつ] = One (thing)
  • 二つ [ふたつ] = Two (things)
  • 三つ [みっつ] = Three (things)
  • 四つ [よっつ] = Four (things)
  • 五つ [いつつ] = Five (things)
  • 六つ [むっつ] = Six (things)
  • 七つ [ななつ] = Seven (things)
  • 八つ [やっつ] = Eight (things)
  • 九つ [ここのつ] = Nine (things)
  • 十 [とお] = Ten (things)
Example:りんごを二つおねがいします。
= Please give me two apples.
[*おねがいします (onegai-shimasu) this phrase used for requesting something, means please.]
Note: to count from 9 onwards つ counter is not used, instead, often こ (個) counter for non-living things, ひき (匹) counter for living things or けん (件) counter for non-physical things is used. For 10 you may use とお or じゅっこ or じゅっぽん

Counter for small objects or things

こ [個]

  • 一個 [いっこ] = One (thing)
  • 二個 [にこ] = Two (things)
  • 三個 [さんこ] = Three (things)
  • 四個 [よんこ] = Four (things)
  • 五個 [ごこ] = Five (things)
  • 六個 [ろっこ] = Six (things)
  • 七個 [ななこ] = Seven (things)
  • 八個 [はっこ] = Eight (things)
  • 九個 [きゅうこ] = Nine (things)
  • 十個 [じゅっこ] = Ten (things)

Counter for person and people

り [人] and にん [人]

  • 一人 [ひとり] = One person
  • 二人 [ふたり] = Two persons
  • 三人 [さんにん] = Three persons
  • 四人 [よにん] = Four persons
  • 五人 [ごにん] = Five persons
  • 六人 [ろくにん] = Six persons
  • 七人 [しちにん] = Seven persons
  • 八人 [はちにん] = Eight persons
  • 九人 [きゅうにん] = Nine persons
  • 十人 [じゅうにん] = Ten persons
Example: うち は ごにん かぞく です 。= We're a family of five.

Counter for cars, bicycles, machines, mechanical devices, household appliances etc.

だい [台]

  • 一台 [いちだい] = One piece of ~
  • 二台 [にだい] = Two pieces ~
  • 三台 [さんだい] = Three pieces of ~

Counter for cups and glasses of drink etc.

はい [杯]

  • 一杯 [いっぱい] = One cup of ~
  • 二杯 [にはい] = Two cups of ~
  • 三杯 [さんばい] = Three cups of ~
Example: コーヒー を いっぱい おねがいします。= A cup of coffee please.

Counter for small animals, insects, fish, reptiles etc.

ひき [匹 ]

  • 一匹 [いっぴき] = One piece of ~
  • 二匹 [にひき] = Two pieces of ~
  • 三匹 [さんびき] = Three pieces of ~

Counter for long, thin objects: rivers, roads, train tracks, ties, pencils, bottles, guitars etc.

ほん [本]

  • 一本 [いっぽん] = One piece of ~
  • 二本 [にほん] = Two pieces of ~
  • 三本 [さんぼん] = Three pieces of ~

まい [枚]

Counter for thin, flat objects: sheets of paper, photographs, plates

  • 一枚 [いちまい] = One sheet of ~
  • 二枚 [にまい] = Two sheets of ~
  • 三枚 [さんまい] = Three sheets of ~

Counter for minutes

ふん [分]

  • 一分 [いっぷん] = 1 minute
  • 二分 [にふん] = 2 minutes
  • 三分 [さんぷん] = 3 minutes

Counting hours of the day

じ [時]

  • 一時 [いちじ] = 1 hour
  • 二時 [にじ] = 2 hours
  • 三時 [さんじ] = 3 hours

Counting weeks

しゅう [週]

  • 一週 [いっしゅう] = One week
  • 二週 [にしゅう] = Two weeks
  • 三週 [さんしゅう] = Three weeks

Months of the year. Month-long periods

がつ [月]

  • 一月 [いちがつ] = One month
  • 二月 [にがつ] = Two months
  • 三月 [さんがつ] = Three months

Years, school years (grades);

ねん [年]

  • 一年 [いちねん] = 1st year
  • 二年 [にねん] = 2nd year
  • 三年 [さんねん] = 3rd year

Counting years of age

さい [歳]

  • 一歳 [いっさい] = One year old
  • 二歳 [にさい] = Two years old
  • 三歳 [さんさい] = Three years old

Used for counting number of floors, stories etc.

かい [階]

  • 一階 [いっかい] = 1st floor
  • 二階[にかい] = 2nd floor
  • 三階[さんかい] = 3rd floor
Example: わたし の へや は にかい に あります 。= My room is on the second floor.

Counting occurrences or number of times

かい [回]

  • 一回 [いっかい] = One time
  • 二回 [にかい] = Two times
  • 三回 [さんかい] = Three times

ど [度]

Occurrences, number of times, degrees of temperature

  • 一度 [いちど] = One time
  • 二度 [にど] = Two times
  • 三度 [さんど] = Three times

Counter of position, turn, ranks

ばん [番]

  • 一番 [いちばん] = Number one
  • 二番 [にばん] = Number two
  • 三番 [さんばん] = Number three

Counter for books

さつ [冊]

  • 一冊 [いっさつ] = One (book)
  • 二冊 [にさつ] = Two (books)
  • 三冊 [さんさつ] = Three (books)

Counter for pairs of footwear - shoes, socks etc.

そく [足]

  • 一足 [いっそく] = One pair of (shoes or socks)
  • 二足 [にそく] = Two pair of (shoes or socks)
  • 三足 [さんそく] = Three pair of (shoes or socks)
JLPT N5 Resources: Vocabulary Lists:

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