Ni-tou no zoo

Japanese
Counters
(josūshi)
Ju-kkou no
bii-dama

Futari
San-nin
What are counters?
Counter words or counters are measure words used with numbers to
count things, actions, and events.

Patterns formed when counting things, actions and events

Pattern #1 . [Number + counter] + particle no + noun
Example: ichi-mai no shatsu meaning “one shirt”

Pattern #2. Noun + [Number + counter ]

Example: shatsu ichi-mai
Observe the following sentences:
Bagio-shi wa keisatsusho ga nan-ken arimasu ka.
How many police stations do we have in Baguio?

Bagio-shi ni wa nana-tsu keisatsusho ga arimasu.

We have 7 police stations in Baguio City.

Keisatsukan wa nan-nin imasu ka.

How many police officers are there?

Keisatsukan wa juugo-nin imasu.

There are 40 police offiers.
 Questions answered by the counters:
Iku- How many?
Nan- how many

 How many people are here? Koko ni nan-nin imasu ka?

 How many large animals are there? Okina dobutsuwa nan-tou imasu ka ?
 How many small animals are there? Soodo bustuwa nanbiki imasu ka?
 How many small round things are there? Chiisana marui mono wa ikutsu
arimasu ka?
 How many bottles of water did you drink? Nan-hon no mizu o nomimashita
ka?
 How many papers were bought? Nan-mai no kami o koonyu shimashita ka?

Sample Answer: San-nin imasu.

 Japanese Counters
-mai -dai -ko/-tsu -kai -hon -nin

Flat surface Large inanimate Small inanimate Floors and number Long, tubular objects People
(paper, cds, shirts) objects (TVs, PCs,, objects (eggs, of times something is (pens, umbrellas,
bicycles tomatoes done bottles)

Ichi-mai Ichi-dai Ikko/hitotsu Ikkai ippon Hitori

Ni-mai ni-dai Ni-ko/futatsu Ni-kai ni-hon Futari

San-mai san-dai San-ko/mittsu San-kai sam-bon San-nin

Yon-mai Yon-dai Yon-ko/yottsu Yon-kai yon-hon Yo-nin

Go-mai Go-dai Go-ku/itutsu Go-kai go-hon Go-nin

Roku-mai Roku-dai Rokko/muttsu Rokkai roppon roku-nin

Nana-mai Nana-dai Nana-ko/nanatsu Nanakai nana-bon Shi-nin

 -mai ( Flat surfaced objects)

1 shirt - shatsu ichi-mai ichi-mai no shatsu

2 shirts - shatsu ni-mai

3 shirts - shatsu san-mai
4 shirts - shatsu yon-mai
5 shirts - shatsu go-mai
6 shirts - shatsu roku-mai
7 shirts - shatsu nana-mai
8 shirts - shatsu hachi-mai
9 shirts - shatsu kyu-mai
10 shirst - shatsu juu-mai
 -Dai ( Large inanimate objects like fridge)
one bicycle - jitensha ichi-dai / ichi-dai no jitensha
two bicycles - jitensha ni-dai / ni-dai no jitensha
three bicycles - jitensha san-dai / san-dai no jitensha
four bicycles - jitensha yon-dai / yon-dai no jitensha
five bicycles - jitensha go-dai / go-dai no jitensha
six bicycles - jitensha roku-dai / roku-dai no jitensha
seven bicycles - jitensha nana-dai / nana-dai no jitensha
eight bicycles - jitensha hachi-dai / hachi-dai no jitensha
nine bicycles - jitensha kyuu-dai / kyuu-dai no jitensha
ten bicycles - jitensha juu-dai / juu-dai no jitensha

Sentence use: San-dai no jitensha ga dooro-jo ni arimasu.

/3-dai no jitensha ga dooro-jo ni arimasu.
-ko /tsu ( Small Inanimate Objects like tomatoes)
one tomato - tomato i-ko / hitotsu no tomato
two tomatoes - tomato ni-ko / futatsu no tomato
three tomatoes - tomato san-ko / mittsu no tomato
four tomatoes - tomato yon-ko / yottsu no tomato
five tomatoes - tomato go-ko / itutsu no tomato
six tomatoes - tomato ro-kko / muttsu no tomato
seven tomatoes - tomato nana-ko /nanatsu no tomato
eight tomatoes - tomato hachi-ko / yattsu no tomato
nine tomatoes - tomato kyu-ko / kokonotsu no tomato
ten tomatoes - tomato juu-ko / to-o no tomato
 -hon/pon ( for long, tubular objects)
one pen - i-pon no pen /pen i-pon
two pens - ni-hon no pen
thee pens - sam-bon no pen
four pens - yon-hon no pen
five pens - go-hon no pen
six pens - rop-pon no pen
seven pens – nana-hon no pen
eight pens - hachi-hon no pen
nine pens - kyu-hon no pen
ten pens - juup-pon no pen
 -nin
(for people)

one person -hitori

two persons -futari
three persons – san-nin
four persons - yonin
five persons - go-nin
six persons - roku-nin
seven persons - shi-nin
eight persons - hachi-nin
nine persons - kyu-nin
ten persons - juu-nin
 -tou
Counter for Large Animals

Number + counter + Particle no + noun = noun + number + counter

Ex: i-tou no zoo =zoo + i-tou

1 big animal ittou 1 elephant - ittou no zoo

2 big animals nitou 2 elephants – nitou no zoo
3 big animals santou 3 elephants - santou no zoo
4 big animals yontou 4 elephants - yontou no zoo
5 big animals gotou 5 elephants - gotou no zoo
6 big animals rokutou 6 elephants - rokutou no zoo
7 big animals nanatou 7 elephants - nanatou no zoo
8 big animals hattou 8 elephants - hattou no zoo
9 big animals kyuutou 9 elephants - kyuutou no zoo
10 big animals juutou 10 elephants – juutou no zoo
 They captured three elephants. There are five crocodiles on
I saw two giraffes.
Karera wa san-tou no zoo o the river bank.
Watashi wa ni-tou no karimashita. Kawagishi ni wa go-tou ani
kirin o mimashita. ga imasu.
 -Hiki
Counter for Small Animals

1 small animal Ippiki 1 rabbit i-hiki no usagi usagi i-hiki

2 small animal Nihiki 2 rabbits ni-hiki no usagi
3 small animal Sanbiki 3 rabbits sanbiki no usagi
4 small animal Yonhiki 4 rabbits yon-hiki no usagi
5 small animal gohiki 5 rabbits go-hiki no usage
6 small animal Roppiki 6 rabbits roppiki no usagi
7 small animal Nanahiki 7 rabbits nanahiki no usagi
8 small animal Happiki 8 rabbits happiki no usagi
9 small animal Kyuuhiki 9 rabbits kyuuhiki no usagi
10 small animal Juuppiki 10 rabbits juupiki no usagi
How Many small animals are there?
Shoudou muttsu wa nambiki imasu ka?

Neko wa yon-hiki ga imasu.

There are four cats.

Kare wa sambiki no buta o kaimashita.

He bought three pigs.
 Sentence Illustrations

1. Koko wa nankai desu ka? What floor is this ?

2. Toire wa sankai desu. The bathroom is on the third floor.
3. Resutoran wa hachikai desu. The restaurant is on the 8th floor.
4. Manshon no go-kai ni tomarimasu. I stay on the fifth floor of the
condominium.
5. Tou no jukai ni noborimashita. We climbed the 10th floor of the tower.
Taawa no jukai ni noborimashita.
6. Anata no ofisu wa nan-kai ni arimasu ka? On what floor is your office?

Sentence use: I am at the fifth floor. I am at the 5th floor.

Watashi wa go-kai ni imasu.
 -hai/pai
Counting Liquid in glasses and cups
1 glass of liquid ippai koppu ippai no mizu one glass of water
2 glasses ni-hai koppu ni-hai no mizu two glasses of water
3 glasses sambai koppu sam-bai no mizu three glasses of water
4 glasses yonhai koppu yon-hai no mizu four glasses of water
5 glasses gohai koppu gohai no mizu five glasses of water
6 glasses roppai koppu roppai no mizu six glasses of water
7 glasses nanahai koppu nanahai no mizu seven glasses of water
8 glasses happai koppu happai no mizu eight glasses of water
9 glasses kyuuhai koppu kyuuhai no mizu nine glasses of water
10 glasses juppai koppu juppai no mizu ten glasses of water
Sentence Illustrations:

Kyo wa nan-nin desu ka? How many are we today?

Watashitachi wa ju-sai nin desu.

How many are you in the family?

Anata no kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka?

Watashi tachi wa kazoku no naka de yo-nin desu.

We are four in the family.
 Description (usage before Usage

taba Counter for Bundles (of *Use Traditional Japanese numbers: e.g. 一 (hito-taba
banknotes), bunches (of flowers,
vegetables), sheaves Examples: Asparagus, Rice Plant, Soba, Firewood, Seedling,
Scallion, Shallot, Green Onion, Rope, Konbu, Noodles, Incense
Stick
ashi Counter for Pairs of footwear, Counter for Pairs of footwear, pairs of socks, stockings, tabi
pairs of socks, stockings, tabi
Stirrup, Japanese Sandals (zori), Japanese Socks (tabi), Gloves,
Mittens, Shoes, Socks, Stockings, Wooden Clogs (geta),
Slippers, Roller skate

Counter for Desks, chairs, long- Examples: Rice Bowl, Tea Cup, Plate, Wine Glass, Japanese
tsu stemmed glasses Soup Bowl

ki Counter for Aircraft, machines Examples: Airplane, Airship, Blimp, Balloon, Blimp, Hot-Air
Balloon
Sentence Illustrations:

 I will give her a bouquet of flowers.

Watashiwa kanojo ni hanataba o agemasu. / Kanojo ni hanataba o agemasu.

 The Philippines bought five aircrafts from Japan.

Firipin wa Nihon kara go-ki koukuuki o kounyuu shita.

 There are eight chairs. Isu wa yattsu arimasu.

 Tetelastai wa juujika-joo no Iesu Kirisuto no saigo no
roku-ban me Kotoba desu.
“ Tetelastai” is the 6th last word of Jesus Christ on the cross.

 Watashi wa futatsu no bun o kakimashita.

I wrote two sentences.

 Sanmi Tai wa san’nin Kami desu. Trinity is God in three persons.

I bought three pairs of shoes. Kutsu wa san-ashi arimasu.
Watashi wa san-nin no tomodachi ga imasu.
Watashi wa tomodachi san-nin ga imasu.
I have three friends.
Watashi wa san-dai no kompyuuta o motte imasu.
I have three computers.
Watashi wa mittsu no orenji o motte imasu.
I have three oranges.
Sentence Illustrations:
1. Seisho ni wa roku-ju roku-satsu no hon ga arimasu.
There are 66 books of the Bible.
2. Iesu wa ni-hiki no sakana to itsutsu no pan o fuyashite go sen-nin o
yashinaimashita.
Jesus multiplied the two fish and five loaves of bread to feed 5,000
people.
3. Petero wa Iesu Kirisuto o san-do hitei shimashita.
Peter denied Jesus Christ three times.
4. Isukariote noyuda wa sanjuu-mai no jin de Iesu o urimashita.
Judas Iscariot sold Jesus with 30 pieces of silver.
 Try to replace the underlined words in the
following sentences:
1.Anata wa dono you ni ooku no kodomo ga imasu ka?
How many children do you have?
Answer: Watashi ni wa futari no kodomo ga imasu. ( I have two children.)
Watashi ni wa mada kodomo ga imasen. ( I don’t have children yet).

2. Ikutsu no kousu o touroku shimashita ka? ( How many courses did you enrol?)
Answer: Watashi wa mittsu no kousu o tooroku shimashita.
(I enrolled three courses.)