Counters

Counters are one of the things that English speakers often have a hard time with when learning Japanese. Most words in Japanese do not have a 'plural' form. Instead different types of things have different counters. This type of counter is seen in English as well; it is the equivallent of saying 'three glasses of water' instead of 'three waters.' There are many such counters; only a few of which are listed here.

If you don't know the counter for something, it is usually OK to use the general set (Except for with people!). The general set is made up of the traditional Japanese numbers. Do not confuse this general set with the standard set of numbers, which was actually borrowed from Chinese.

Note: If you go beyond ten of something, the standard set of numbers should be used before the counter listed at the top.

The most basic way to use a counter is as follows:

Item ga counter arimasu/imasu. (Arimasu is for inanimate things and imasu for animate ones.)

Examples:

Hon ga issatsu arimasu.	I have/there is one book.
Neko ga sanbiki imasu.	I have/there are three cats.
Imouto ga futari imasu.	I have two younger sisters.

	General	People	Small Animals	Large Animals	Birds and Rabbits	Long Thin Objects
		~nin	~hiki	~tou	~wa	~hon
1	hitotsu	hitori	ippiki	ittou	ichiwa	ippon
2	futatsu	futari	nihiki	nitou	niwa	nihon
3	mittsu	sannin	sanbiki	santou	sanba	sanbon
4	yottsu	yonin	yonhiki	yontou	yonwa	yonhon
5	itsutsu	gonin	gohiki	gotou	gowa	gohon
6	mutsu	rokunin	roppiki	rokutou	rokuwa / roppa	roppon / rokuhon
7	nanatsu	nananin / shichinin	nanahiki / shichihiki	nanatou	nanawa / shichiwa	nanahon
8	yattsu	hachinin	happiki	hattou / hachitou	hachiwa / happa	happon
9	kokonotsu	kyuunin	kyuuhiki	kyuutou	kyuuwa	kyuuhon
10	too	juunin	juppiki	juttou	juuwa / juppa	juppon

	Small Objects	Machines and Vehicles	Flat Objects	Floors (of a Building)	Glasses (of Liquid)	Books
	~ko	~dai	~mai	~kai	~hai	~satsu
1	ikko	ichidai	ichimai	ikkai	ippai	issatsu
2	niko	nidai	nimai	nikai	nihai	nisatsu
3	sanko	sandai	sanmai	sangai	sanbai	sansatsu
4	yonko	yondai	yonmai	yonkai	yonhai	yonsatsu
5	goko	godai	gomai	gokai	gohai	gosatsu
6	rokko	rokudai	rokumai	rokkai	rokuhai / roppai	rokusatsu
7	nanako	nanadai / shichidai	nanamai / shichimai	nanakai	nanahai	nanasatsu
8	hakko	hachidai	hachimai	hakkai / hachikai	hachihai / happai	hassatsu
9	kyuuko	kyuudai	kyuumai	kyuukai	kyuuhai	kyuusatsu
10	jukko	juudai	juumai	jukkai	juppai	juusatsu