The Most Useful Japanese Counters You Need to Know

Along with kanji and onomatopoeia, counting is an element of Japanese that seems daunting due to the sheer amount of words involved.

There seems to be a counter for everything—in fact, the Japanese language has about 500 – 600 counters! (reference page is in Japanese only) Even native speakers will confess they don’t know all of them. In this article, we’ll discuss the most common Japanese counters and how to use them.

What Is a Counter?

In Japanese, counters are used to help define numbered or counted objects. English uses counters too—in fact, almost every language does. A common example of a counter in English would be:

“Mix in two cups of milk.”

In English, general counters are most often found in measurement-specific instances. Beyond that, things are count things using the actual name of the object.

“I’d like three sodas, please.”

“I just saw two deer running across the field.”

“Did you order four pancakes, or five?”

Counting in Japanese is simpler in this respect.

Because sodas are drinks stored in long, hollow containers, they are counted the same way as other drinks by using 本 (ほん). Deer are large animals and are counted like all other large animals using 頭 (とう). Pancakes are thin and flat, which uses the counter 枚 (まい).

Most counters can be used with various objects, and the only rules to remember are a few changes in pronunciation that we will get to later. Before diving into common Japanese counters, I’d like to introduce you to  2 of the most useful that you can use is almost any situation.

Counters in Japanese:  Is There An Easier Way?

If my husband ever hears me complaining about how many counters there are to memorize, he shrugs and tells me to just use 個 (こ). “You can use it for everything,” he’ll say.

While 個 can be used to count a TON of different things, there are certain things it can’t be used for.

In general, the counter 個 (こ) is drawn from Japan’s Chinese roots and is used for small, and/or most physical objects, but not ALL objects.  Usually, counting things like animals using 個 would sound strange.

Example:

1. 昨日、鳥を2個見た。(きのう、とりをにこみた):   I saw 2 birds yesterday.

While birds are technically physical objects, that fact that they are living creatures makes using the 個 counter sound weird.

In this case, the most elegant solution would be to use the counter for birds, which is 羽 (わ).  We’ll cover this in more detail below.

1. 昨日、鳥を2羽見た。(きのう、とりをにわみた):   I saw 2 birds yesterday.

What makes 個 tricky is that it can even be used for non-physical, abstract object as well.

Example:

1. 昨日、夢を2個見た。(きのう、ゆめをにこみた):  I had 2 dreams yesterday.

Isn’t there a simpler way?  That’s where “つ” comes in.

Counting With つ:  When All Else Fails

Unlike 個, the counter つ can be naturally applied to both of the previous examples:

1. “I saw two birds yesterday.” → “昨日、鳥を２つ見た。” (きのう、とりをふたつみた)
2. “I saw two dreams last night.” → “昨日、夢を２つ見た。” (きのう、ゆめをふたつみた)

If you don’t know how to count using the Japanese “つ” system, you can learn it below.

つ is so useful, that even when I make an effort to use the proper counters when ordering a drink or food at a restaurant, my order might just be repeated back using the つ counter.  Don’t be ashamed to resort to using this counter.  It can be used to count many things and you can easily communicate with native speakers.

**Important note:  In Japan, using the “つ” counting system is common, but usually only for numbers 1 – 9.  The number 10 is pronounced as “とお” and can be used, but it’s more common to use the Sino-Japanese counting system for numbers 10 or higher.

Example:

1. 昨日、11の夢を見た。(きのう、じゅういちのゆめをみた):  I had 11 dreams yesterday.
2. 昨日、鳥を14見た。(きのう、とりをじゅうよんみた):  I saw 14 birds yesterday.

Of course, if you can master and use the counters below, you’ll impress people from Japan.  Most importantly, learning these counters will be highly useful when speaking Japanese with native speakers.

How to Count With つ

つ is a newer system than 個 and comes from the fully-Japanese category known as 和語（わご）. If you can remember the つ counting style from 1~10, the rest of the numbers should be no problem.

English	Wago	Japanese Reading	Romaji
One	一つ	ひとつ	hitotsu
Two	二つ	ふたつ	futatsu
Three	三つ	みっつ	mittsu
Four	四つ	よっつ	yottsu
Five	五つ	いつつ	itsutsu
Six	六つ	むっつ	muttsu
Seven	七つ	ななつ	nanatsu
Eight	八つ	やっつ	yattsu
Nine	九つ	ここのつ	kokonotsu
Ten	十	とお	too

For your benefit, I’ve divided the counters into categories of where you’ll use them the most. But first, let’s start off with some of the most common counters you’ll hear in Japan.

Common Counters

While this list has been extensive, there are a few more commonly used counters in daily life. These are harder to categorize but still important.

個 (こ):  Most Inanimate Objects, Certain Abstract Objects, Etc.

個 comes in right behind the つ counter in terms of usefulness. You can use 個 to count most inanimate objects or certain abstract things like ideas or dreams.  You can count so many things using 個, but as mentioned above, counting things like animals can sound weird.  My advice is if you aren’t sure of how to count something, use the つ counting system listed above.

個 derives from the original Chinese-based language used in ancient Japan, or 漢語（かんご）. Counting in this style is perhaps more familiar to most learners.

Examples:

1. “Two apples, please.” → “りんごを二個ください。” (りんごをにこください)
2. “There are 8 planets total in the solar system.” → “太陽系の惑星は全部で８個あります。” (たいようけいのわくせいはぜんぶではちこあります)
3.  I had 2 dreams yesterday.”  →  “昨日、夢を2個見た。”(きのう、ゆめをにこみた)

English	Kango	Japanese Reading	Romaji
One	一個	いっこ	ikko
Two	二個	にこ	niko
Three	三個	さんこ	sanko
Four	四個	よんこ	yonko
Five	五個	ごこ	goko
Six	六個	ろっこ	rokko
Seven	七個	ななこ	nanako
Eight	八個	はちこ / はっこ	hachiko / hakko
Nine	九個	きゅうこ	kyuuko
Ten	十個	じっこ / じゅっこ	jikko / jukko

人（にん）- People

人(にん) is used for counting people in any situation that isn’t a booking or reservation. If there are 3 or more people, you can count using the standard counting system (いち, に, さん, etc.). In the case of one or two people, however, the つ counting method is used.  But the つ is changed to り(ri).  (1人=ひとり, 2人= ふたり)

Examples:

1. “There are three people in my family.” → “私の家族は3人です。” (わたしのかぞくはさんにんです)
2. “I want some time with just the two of us.” → “2人きりの時間が欲しい。” (ふたりきりのじかんがほしい)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One person	一人	ひとり	hitori
Two people	二人	ふたり	futari
Three people	三人	さんにん	sannin
Four people	四人	よにん	yonin
Five people	五人	ごにん	gonin
Six people	六人	ろくにん	rokunin
Seven people	七人	しちにん / ななにん	shichinin / nananin
Eight people	八人	はちにん	hachinin
Nine people	九人	きゅうにん / くにん	kyuunin / kunin
Ten people	十人	じゅうにん	juunin

**Important!  If you ever order food from a restaurant in Japan, you may see this kanji 前(まえ) attached at the end of these counters.   For example, you may see this kanji 一人前(いちにんまえ).  Notice that this is not read as “ひとりまえ.”

When there is the kanji “前” attached to a person counter, the meaning changes to “serving portions.”  If you say 三人前(さんにんまえ) in a restaurant, that means you want food for 3 people, or 3 servings.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
For one person	一人前	いちにんまえ	ichininmae
For two people	二人前	ににんまえ	nininmae
For three people	三人前	さんにんまえ	sanninmae
For four people	四人前	よにんまえ	yoninmae
For five people	五人前	ごにんまえ	goninmae
For six people	六人前	ろくにんまえ	rokuninmae
For seven people	七人前	ななにんまえ / しちにんまえ	nananinmae / shichininmae
For eight people	八人前	はちにんまえ	hachininmae
For nine people	九人前	きゅうにんまえ / くにんまえ	kyuuninmae / kuninmae
For ten people	十人前	じゅうにんまえ	juuninmae

匹（ひき）- Small Animals (Cats, Dogs, Monkeys, Some Fish, Etc.)

If you own pets in your home, 匹(ひき) is the counter you would use. Typically “small” refers to an animal that can be picked up by the average adult. 匹 is counted using the 個 counting method.

Some small fish can be counted using 匹 as well.

Example:

1. “I have four cats.” → “私は猫を4匹飼っています。” (わたしはねこをよんひきかっています)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (small) animal	一匹	いっぴき	ippiki
Two (small) animals	二匹	にひき	nihiki
Three (small) animals	三匹	さんびき	sanbiki
Four (small) animals	四匹	よんひき	yonhiki
Five (small) animals	五匹	ごひき	gohiki
Six (small) animals	六匹	ろっぴき	roppiki
Seven (small) animals	七匹	ななひき / しちひき	nanahiki / shichihiki
Eight (small) animals	八匹	はっぴき / はちひき	happiki / hachihiki
Nine (small) animals	九匹	きゅうひき	kyuuhiki
Ten (small) animals	十匹	じゅっぴき / じっぴき	juppiki / jippiki

頭（とう）- Large Animals (Horses, Cows, Crocodiles, Marine Mammals, Etc.)

In contrast to 匹(ひき), 頭(とう) is the counter for animals that are too large to be picked up easily by an average adult.

頭 can also be used for marine mammals like whales, dolphins, sea lions, etc.   Aquatic creatures like fish (tuna, bonito, and yellowtail, saury, etc.) are counted using  本(hon – fishes with long, slender bodies) or 匹 (usually for smaller fish).

Example:

1. “We saw three horses on the farm.” → “農場で馬を3頭見た。” (のうじょうでうまをさんとうみた)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (large) animal	一頭	いっとう	ittou
Two (large) animals	二頭	にとう	nitou
Three (large) animals	三頭	さんとう	santou
Four (large) animals	四頭	よんとう	yontou
Five (large) animals	五頭	ごとう	gotou
Six (large) animals	六頭	ろくとう	rokutou
Seven (large) animals	七頭	ななとう	nanatou
Eight (large) animals	八頭	はっとう / はちとう	hattou / hachitou
Nine (large) animals	九頭	きゅうとう	kyuutou
Ten (large) animals	十頭	じっとう / じゅっとう	jittou / juttou

羽（わ）- Birds, Bats*, Rabbits

羽(わ) is a rather specific counter used for birds, bats, and rabbits. It can also be used for poultry, such a roast chicken or turkey.  However, many native speakers would use the  “つ” or 個 (こ) counters to count whole, cooked poultry.

Example:

1. “My cat killed two rabbits today.” → “うちの猫は今日、ウサギを2羽殺した。” (うちのねこはきょう、ウサギをにわころした)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (bird, rabbit, bat)	一羽	いちわ	ichiwa
Two (birds, rabbits, bats)	二羽	にわ	niwa
Three (birds, rabbits, bats)	三羽	さんわ / さんば	sanwa / sanba
Four (birds, rabbits, bats)	四羽	よんわ	yonwa
Five (birds, rabbits, bats)	五羽	ごわ	gowa
Six (birds, rabbits, bats)	六羽	ろくわ / ろっぱ	rokuwa / roppa
Seven (birds, rabbits, bats)	七羽	ななわ	nanawa
Eight (birds, rabbits, bats)	八羽	はちわ	hachiwa
Nine (birds, rabbits, bats)	九羽	きゅうわ	kyuuwa
Ten (birds, rabbits, bats)	十羽	じゅうわ / じっぱ	juuwa / jippa

*Note:  According the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), bats can be counted with this 羽 (わ) counter, or using 匹（ひき）counter listed above.  The 匹（ひき）is more commonly used on the news and shows.

階（かい）- Floors of a Building

階 (かい) is a counter you’ll find on any elevator or floor plan for a building with 2 or more stories. It can refer to specific floors (i.e., the 4th floor, the 8th floor) or how many levels the building has.

Examples:

1. “I live in a five-story apartment building.” → “私は5階建てのアパートに住んでいます。” (わたしはごかいだてのアパートにすんでいます)
2. “The restaurant is on the third floor.” → “レストランは3階にあります。” (レストランはさんがいにあります)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One/first floor	一階	いっかい	ikkai
Two/second floor	二階	にかい	nikai
Three/thrid floor	三階	さんがい / さんかい	sangai / sankai
Four/fourth floor	四階	よんかい	yonkai
Five/fifth floor	五階	ごかい	gokai
Six/sixth floor	六階	ろっかい	rokkai
Seven/seventh floor	七階	ななかい	nanakai
Eight/eighth floor	八階	はちかい / はっかい	hachikai / hakkai
Nine/ninth floor	九階	きゅうかい	kyuukai
Ten/tenth floor	十階	じっかい / じゅっかい	jikkai / jukkai

台（だい）- Furniture, Vehicles, Electronics

The counter 台(だい) can be used for furniture, electronics or appliances, and land transport vehicles*. It can also count whole cakes or pies, but in my experience, ordering a cake or pie using 台 is uncommon.

Example:

1. “There are two cars at that stoplight.” → “あの信号で、車が2台止まっています。” (あのしんごうで、くるまがにだいとまっています)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (piece of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	一台	いちだい	ichidai
Two (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	二台	にだい	nidai
Three (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	三台	さんだい	sandai
Four (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	四台	よんだい	yondai
Five (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	五台	ごだい	godai
Six (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	六台	ろくだい	rokudai
Seven (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	七台	ななだい / しちだい	nanadai / shichidai
Eight (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	八台	はちだい	hachidai
Nine (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	九台	きゅうだい	kyuudai
Ten (pieces of) furniture, vehicle, electronics	十台	じゅうだい	juudai

*Note:  Trains can be the exception.  You’ll hear the counters “両 (りょう – counter for carriages)”, “編成 (へんせい – composition, formation, or operation of carriages)” and “本 (ほん – counter for long objects) to count trains.

本（ほん）- Stick-Shaped or Long Objects

本(ほん)  is a counter that covers a wide variety of objects. Items such as pencils, bottles, asparagus, certain varieties of fish, etc. can all be counted with 本!

In addition, there are some abstract things often counted using 本. They are phone calls, nice plays in certain sports (kendo, judo, wrestling, etc.) contest prizes, and things with a solid start or ending (i.e., performances, movies, scripts, etc.).

One thing to be careful of is that even though 本 is the kanji for book, you can’t count books using 本 as a counter! We’ll get to that one next.

Example:

1. “My class collected 127 plastic bottles from nearby parks.” → “うちのクラスは近くの公園からペットボトルを127本集めました。” (うちのくらすはちかくのこうえんからペットボトルをひゃくにじゅうななほんあつめました)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (long, cylindrical shaped item)	一本	いっぽん	ippon
Two (long, cylindrical shaped items)	二本	にほん	nihon
Three (long, cylindrical shaped items)	三本	さんぼん	sanbon
Four (long, cylindrical shaped items)	四本	よんほん	yonhon
Five (long, cylindrical shaped items)	五本	ごほん	gohon
Six (long, cylindrical shaped items)	六本	ろっぽん	roppon
Seven (long, cylindrical shaped items)	七本	ななほん / しちほん	nanahon / shichihon
Eight (long, cylindrical shaped items)	八本	はっぽん	happon
Nine (long, cylindrical shaped items)	九本	きゅうほん	kyuuhon
Ten (long, cylindrical shaped items)	十本	じゅっぽん / じっぽん	juppon / jippon

冊（さつ）- Books, Bound Files, Notebooks

As mentioned previously, books aren’t counted using 本（ほん）. The counter 冊(さつ) is used for books, notebooks, and anything else consisting of bound paper or sheets.

Example:

1. “My brother has three manga books.” → “兄はマンガを3冊持っています。” (あにはマンガをさんさつもっています)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (book)	一冊	いっさつ	issatsu
Two (books)	二冊	にさつ	nisatsu
Three (books)	三冊	さんさつ	sansatsu
Four (books)	四冊	よんさつ	yonsatsu
Five (books)	五冊	ごさつ	gosatsu
Six (books)	六冊	ろくさつ	rokusatsu
Seven (books)	七冊	ななさつ	nanasatsu
Eight (books)	八冊	はっさつ	hassatsu
Nine (books)	九冊	きゅうさつ	kyuusatsu
Ten (books)	十冊	じっさつ / じゅっさつ	jissatsu / jussatsu

枚（まい）- Flat Objects

Whereas 冊(さつ) counts bound sheets of paper, 枚(まい) is the counter to use for single sheets of paper or other flat objects. For example, stickers, DVDs, and slices of bread can all be counted with 枚.

Example:

1. “Could I have a sheet of paper, please?” → “紙を1枚いただいていいですか？” (かみをいちまいいただいていいですか)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (flat object)	一枚	いちまい	ichimai
Two (flat objects)	二枚	にまい	nimai
Three (flat objects)	三枚	さんまい	sanmai
Four (flat objects)	四枚	よんまい	yonmai
Five (flat objects)	五枚	ごまい	gomai
Six (flat objects)	六枚	ろくまい	rokumai
Seven (flat objects)	七枚	ななまい	nanamai
Eight (flat objects)	八枚	はちまい	hachimai
Nine (flat objects)	九枚	きゅうまい	kyuumai
Ten (flat objects)	十枚	じゅうまい	juumai

Time Counters

Here are some counters that will help when discussing the time or date of a meeting or any other time-related topics.

歳（さい）- Years (Of Age)

If you want to say how old you are, you can use 歳(さい).  While in most Western cultures, it’s considered personal to ask someone’s age, you might be shocked at how often the question comes up in Japan. 歳 is a useful counter to remember.

**Note:  Take a close look when you’re 20 years old in the table.  20 has a special reading.  It isn’t “にじゅっさい (ni-jussaii),” but instead is read “はたち(hatachi).”

Example:

1. “How old are you?” “I’m 25 years old.” → “あなたは何歳ですか？” “25歳です” (あなたはなんさいですか? にじゅうごさいです)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One year old	一歳	いっさい	issai
Two years old	二歳	にさい	nisai
Three years old	三歳	さんさい	sansai
Four years old	四歳	よんさい	yonsai
Five years old	五歳	ごさい	gosai
Six years old	六歳	ろくさい	rokusai
Seven years old	七歳	ななさい	nanasai
Eight years old	八歳	はっさい	hassai
Nine years old	九歳	きゅうさい	kyuusai
Ten years old	十歳	じゅっさい / じっさい	jussai / jissai
Twenty years old	二十歳	はたち	hatachi

時（じ）- Hours, O’Clock

This counter is used both for telling time and counting hours. Just be aware that if you are using it to count a specific number of hours, 時 must be followed with 間(かん).

Examples:

1. “Let’s meet at the station at 9 a.m.” → “朝9時に駅で会いましょう。” (あさくじにえきであいましょう)
2. “It takes two hours to reach Tokyo from here.” → “ここから東京まで、2時間掛かります。” (ここからとうきょうまで、にじかんかかります)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One hour	一時間	いちじかん	ichijikan
Two hours	二時間	にじかん	nijikan
Three hours	三時間	さんじかん	sanjikan
Four hours	四時間	よじかん	yojikan
Five hours	五時間	ごじかん	gojikan
Six hours	六時間	ろくじかん	rokujikan
Seven hours	七時間	ななじかん / しちじかん	nanajikan / shichijikan
Eight hours	八時間	はちじかん	hachijikan
Nine hours	九時間	くじかん	kujikan
Ten hours	十時間	じゅうじかん	juujikan

分（ふん）- Minutes, Degrees of an Angle, Portions

As you can see, 分(ふん) is used for counting more than just minutes. For brevity, we’ll be focusing on using it as a counter for time. Just like with 時(じ), if you use 分 to count a set number of minutes, you will need to add 間（かん).

分 can also be use to talk about proportions/ratios. In this case, 分 would be read as “ぶ or “ぶん.”

Examples:

1. “I’ll arrive at 10:45.” → “10時45分に着きます。” (じゅうじよんじゅうごふんにつきます)
2. “Complete this test within thirty minutes.” → “このテストを30分以内でしなさい。” (このテストをさんじゅっぷんいないでしなさい)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One minute	一分	いっぷん	ippun
Two minutes	二分	にふん	nifun
Three minutes	三分	さんぷん	sanpun
Four minutes	四分	よんふん / よんぷん	yonfun / yonpun
Five minutes	五分	ごふん	gofun
Six minutes	六分	ろっぷん	roppun
Seven minutes	七分	ななふん	nanafun
Eight minutes	八分	はっぷん	happun
Nine minutes	九分	きゅうふん	kyuufun
Ten minutes	十分	じゅっぷん / じっぷん	juppun / jippun

月（つき/がつ/げつ）- Months

The counter 月 (つき/がつ/げつ) is used both to count a number of months and to signify months of the year. While each month can be written entirely in Japanese, it is common to use a number with the kanji 月.

Examples:

1. “My birthday is in July.” → “私の誕生日は7月です。” (わたしのたんじょうびはしちがつです)
2. “It takes nine months for a baby to be born.” → “赤ちゃんが生まれるまで九ヶ月*掛かります。” (あかちゃんがうまれるまできゅうかげつかかります)

*When counting a certain number of months, you will need to use (か) between the number and the counter 月 (as show in the table below).

However, there are other characters used to count a number of months. “か” is the most “up-to-date” character, but you maybe also see ヶ (e.g. 一ヶ月), which is an “older style” character. You may also see “カ” (一カ月), which may be in in some newspapers. The kanji character, “箇” (一箇月) is also used, but it’s not nearly as common as the other characters.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One month	一か月	いっかげつ	ikkagetsu
Two months	二か月	にかげつ	nikagetsu
Three months	三か月	さんかげつ	sankagetsu
Four Months	四か月	よんかげつ	yonkagetsu
Five Months	五か月	ごかげつ	gokagetsu
Six Months	六か月	ろっかげつ	rokkagetsu
Seven Months	七か月	ななかげつ	nanakagetsu
Eight Months	八か月	はちかげつ / はっかげつ	hachikagetsu / hakkagetsu
Nine Months	九か月	きゅうかげつ	kyuukagetsu
Ten Months	十か月	じゅっかげつ / じっかげつ	jukkagetsu / jikkagetsu

日（か/にち）- Days

The counter 日(か/にち) can be used to count a specific amount of days or to express the date.

Notice that there is a special reading for the number 20:

20th day of the month -はつか(hatsuka)

Examples:

1. “The letter will arrive in three days.” → “手紙は三日以内で届きます。” (てがみはみっかいないでとどきます)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
First day of the month	一日	ついたち	tsuitachi
Second day of the month	二日	ふつか	futsuka
Third day of the month	三日	みっか	mikka
Fourth day of the month	四日	よっか	yokka
Fifth day of the month	五日	いつか	itsuka
Sixth day of the month	六日	むいか	muika
Seventh day of the month	七日	なのか	nanoka
Eighth day of the month	八日	ようか	youka
Ninth day of the month	九日	ここのか	kokonoka
Tenth day of the month	十日	とおか	tooka
Twentieth day of the month	二十日	はつか	hatsuka

If you would like to say a certain number of days, all you need to do is add 間(kan) to the end of the date (except for the number 1)*.

For Example:

• 二日間(futsukakan):  A period of two days
• 三日間(mikkakan):  A period of three days
• 四日間 (yokkakan):  A  period of four days
• and so on.

Don’t forget that the number 20 has a special reading!

A period of 20 days – はつかかん(hatsukakan)

*Note:  There is an exception if you want to say, “one day.”  This would NOT be ついたち間 (tsuitachikan).  You’ll drop the “間” and just use 一日 to represent the period of one day.  The reading for this becomes “ichinichi.”

• 一日(ichinichi):  A period of one day

Travel

Here are some counters that you might come across if you travel to or within Japan. They are especially useful if you’re stuck with an all-Japanese website while booking a flight or hotel.

泊（はく）- Overnight Stays, Rentals

If you are trying to book a night in a hotel or rent a car, 泊(はく) will come in handy. For hotel stays, this counts the nights you will spend in the hotel. One night, two days would be “一泊二日.” (いっぱくふつか)

Example:

1. “I would like to stay for two nights, please.” → “2泊でお願いしたいのですが。” (にはく*でおねがいしたいのですが)

*Note: 2泊 can also be read as “ふたはく” (futahaku), and some hotels/accommodations might use this since it is more polite.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One night stay	一泊	いっぱく	ippaku
Two nights stay	二泊	にはく	nihaku
Three nights stay	三泊	さんぱく	sanpaku
Four nights stay	四泊	よんはく / よんぱく	yonhaku / yonpaku
Five nights stay	五泊	ごはく	gohaku
Six nights stay	六泊	ろっぱく	roppaku
Seven nights stay	七泊	ななはく	nanahaku
Eight nights stay	八泊	はちはく / はっぱく	hachihaku / happaku
Nine nights stay	九泊	きゅうはく	kyuuhaku
Ten nights stay	十泊	じっぱく / じゅっぱく	jippaku / juppaku

部屋（へや）- Booking Hotel Rooms

If you’re booking rooms at a hotel, Japanese inn, or lodge you’ll use the counter 部屋 (へや) .  However, when you want to talk about rooms at a hotel or a Japanese inn (ryokan), you would use another room counter 室(しつ).

The counter 部屋 is a bit unique in its pronunciation.  The Japanese つ counting method is used. The correct pronunciation for counting up to 3 using 部屋 is: “一部屋(ひとへや)、二部屋(ふたへや)、三部屋(さんへや/みへや). .

The numbers 4 and above revert back to the Chinese-based counting system: “四部屋(よんへや)、五部屋(ごへや)、六部屋(ろくへや)、七部屋(ななへや)、八部屋(はちへや)、九部屋(きゅうへや)、十部屋(じゅっへや).

Example:

1. “I booked two rooms.” → “2部屋を予約しました。” (ふたへやをよやくしました)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One room	一部屋	ひとへや	hitoheya
Two rooms	二部屋	ふたへや	futaheya
Three rooms	三部屋	さんへや / みへや	sanheya / miheya
Four rooms	四部屋	よんへや / よへや	yonheya / yoheya
Five rooms	五部屋	ごへや	goheya
Six rooms	六部屋	ろくへや	rokuheya
Seven rooms	七部屋	ななへや	nanaheya
Eight rooms	八部屋	はちへや	hachiheya
Nine rooms	九部屋	きゅうへや	kyuuheya
Ten rooms	十部屋	じゅっへや / とへや	juhheya / toheya

*Note:  In Japan, houses typically have both western style and Japanese style rooms.  The 部屋 counter is used to count western style rooms, while 間(ma) can be used to count Japanese style rooms (at some Japanese inns or hotels).

Counting Rooms (In a House, Building, Etc.) –  室(しつ)

室(しつ) is the counter you would use to count the number of bedrooms in a house, hotel, or apartment.

Example:

1. “There are four vacancies in the apartment.” → “そのアパートは、空き部屋が4室あります。” (そのアパートはあきべやがよんしつあります)
2. “There are three rooms on the top floor of the hotel.” → “ホテルの最上階には3室客室があります。” (ホテルのさいじょうかいにはさんしつきゃくしつがあります)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One (hotel) room	一室	いっしつ	isshitsu
Two (hotel) rooms	二室	にしつ	nishitsu
Three (hotel) rooms	三室	さんしつ	sanshitsu
Four (hotel) rooms	四室	よんしつ	yonshitsu
Five (hotel) rooms	五室	ごしつ	goshitsu
Six (hotel) rooms	六室	ろくしつ	rokushitsu
Seven (hotel) rooms	七室	ななしつ	nanashitsu
Eight (hotel) rooms	八室	はっしつ / はちしつ	hasshitsu / hachishitsu
Nine (hotel) rooms	九室	きゅうしつ	kyuushitsu
Ten (hotel) rooms	十室	じゅっしつ / じっしつ	jusshitsu / jisshitsu

便（びん）- Flight Numbers, Long-Distance Flights/Bus Trips/Train Trips

If you ever buy a plane ticket in Japan, you will see this counter. It is primarily used to depict flight numbers.

Examples:

1. “Flight no. NH 1771 arrived October 1, 2020.” → “NH 1771便は１０月1日に到着しました。” (NH 1771びんはにせんにじゅうねんじゅうがつついたちにとうちゃくしました)
2. “There is only one flight from Tokyo to Miyazaki Prefecture.” → “東京都から宮崎県まで 1便しかありません。” (とうきょうとからみやざきけんまでいちびんしかありません)

Provided they are long-distance trips, 便 can be used to count boat and train trips as well. It is also used to count deliveries.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One flight	一便	いちびん	ichibin
Two flights	二便	にびん	nibin
Three flights	三便	さんびん	sanbin
Four flights	四便	よんびん	yonbin
Five flights	五便	ごびん	gobin
Six flights	六便	ろくびん	rokubin
Seven flights	七便	ななびん	nanabin
Eight flights	八便	はちびん	hachibin
Nine flights	九便	きゅうびん	kyuubin
Ten flights	十便	じゅうびん	juubin

号（ごう）- Room Numbers, Train Numbers

Whether you book a hotel room or a train ticket, this counter will be helpful. 号(ごう) is used for counting train cars, as well as designating room numbers.

Examples:

1. “Cars two through seven are for non-reserved seating.” → “2号車から7号車は自由席でございます。” (にごうしゃからななごうしゃはじゆうせきでございます)
2. “Your room is Room 201. Please enjoy your stay.” → “部屋は201号室です。どうぞごゆっくり。” (へやは201ごうしつです。どうぞごゆっくり)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
Number one	一号	いちごう	ichigou
Number two	二号	にごう	nigou
Number three	三号	さんごう	sangou
Number four	四号	よんごう	yongou
Number five	五号	ごごう	gogou
Number six	六号	ろくごう	rokugou
Number seven	七号	ななごう / しちごう	nanagou / shichigou
Number eight	八号	はちごう	hachigou
Number nine	九号	きゅうごう	kyuugou
Number ten	十号	じゅうごう	juugou

機（き）- Airplanes, Jets, Blimps, Other Airships

This is used to count airplanes or other airborne vessels, or big machines in general. Be aware that 機 (き) is a machine-specific counter and can’t be used to count birds, flying animals, or clouds.

Example:

1. “I took two planes today.” → “今日、飛行機に２機乗りました。” (きょう、ひこうきににきのりました)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One airplane/machine	一機	いっき	ikki
Two airplanes/machines	二機	にき	niki
Three airplanes/machines	三機	さんき	sanki
Four airplanes/machines	四機	よんき	yonki
Five airplanes/machines	五機	ごき	goki
Six airplanes/machines	六機	ろっき	rokki
Seven airplanes/machines	七機	ななき	nanaki
Eight airplanes/machines	八機	はっき / はちき	hakki / hachiki
Nine airplanes/machines	九機	きゅうき	kyuuki
Ten airplanes/machines	十機	じゅっき / じっき	jukki / jikki

School Counters

If you decide to study abroad, several counters will be common in your classroom life. These can also be useful if you’re studying Japanese in your hometown or preparing to take an exam like the JLPT!

列（れつ）- Lines, Queues, Rows

This counter can be applied to rows of text, rows of items, or even rows of people. In addition to a classroom setting, you can often find 列(れつ) on signs at a grocery store, airport, or event.

Example:

1. “Please form two lines at this register.” → “このレジに2列で並んでください。” (このレジににれつでならんでください)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One line	一列	いちれつ	ichiretsu
Two lines	二列	にれつ	niretsu
Three lines	三列	さんれつ	sanretsu
Four lines	四列	よれつ / よんれつ	yoretsu / yonretsu
Five lines	五列	ごれつ	goretsu
Six lines	六列	ろくれつ	rokuretsu
Seven lines	七列	ななれつ	nanaretsu
Eight lines	八列	はちれつ	hachiretsu
Nine lines	九列	きゅうれつ	kyuuretsu
Ten lines	十列	じゅうれつ	juuretsu

行（ぎょう）- Line of Writing, Verse

行(ぎょう) is similar to 列(れつ) but is applied specifically to lines of text.

Examples:

1. “Summarize this paragraph in three lines.” → “この段落を3行にまとめなさい。” (このだんらくをさんぎょうにまとめなさい)
2. “Please read the first line.” → “一行目を読んでください。” (いちぎょうめをよんでください)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One line of text	一行	いちぎょう	ichigyou
Two lines of text	二行	にぎょう	nigyou
Three lines of text	三行	さんぎょう	sangyou
Four lines of text	四行	よんぎょう	yongyou
Five lines of text	五行	ごぎょう	gogyou
Six lines of text	六行	ろくぎょう	rokugyou
Seven lines of text	七行	ななぎょう / しちぎょう	nanagyou / shichigyou
Eight lines of text	八行	はちぎょう	hachigyou
Nine lines of text	九行	きゅうぎょう	kyuugyou
Ten lines of text	十行	じゅうぎょう	juugyou

課（か）- Chapter, Department, Division

In a classroom setting, 課(か) is used to count the chapters of a book or textbook. It can also be used to designate departments of an office or large group.

Examples:

1. “Read chapter 2 of your textbook as homework.” → “宿題で教科書の2課を読みなさい。” (しゅくだいできょうかしょのにかをよみなさい.)
2. “I work at the city hall in the education department.” → “私は市役所の学校教育課に勤めています。” (わたしはしやくしょのがっこうきょういくかにつとめています)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One chapter/department	一課	いっか	ikka
Two chapters/departments	二課	にか	nika
Three chapters/departments	三課	さんか	sanka
Four chapters/departments	四課	よんか	yonka
Five chapters/departments	五課	ごか	goka
Six chapters/departments	六課	ろっか	rokka
Seven chapters/departments	七課	ななか / しちか	nanaka / shichika
Eight chapters/departments	八課	はっか / はちか	hakka / hachika
Nine chapters/departments	九課	きゅうか	kyuuka
Ten chapters/departments	十課	じゅっか / じっか	jukka / jikka

期（き）- Term

Another counter than can be found in the office or the classroom, 期(き) counts terms or semesters.

Example:

1. “In Japan, the first semester starts in April.” → “日本では、一学期が4月から始まります。” (にほんでは、いちがっきがしがつからはじまります)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One term	一期	いっき	ikki
Two terms	二期	にき	niki
Three terms	三期	さんき	sanki
Four terms	四期	よんき	yonki
Five terms	五期	ごき	goki
Six terms	六期	ろっき	rokki
Seven terms	七期	ななき	nanaki
Eight terms	八期	はっき / はちき	hakki / hachiki
Nine terms	九期	きゅうき	kyuuki
Ten terms	十期	じゅっき / じっき	jukki / jikki

問（もん）-  Questions, Problems

If you find yourself taking a Japanese test, this counter will certainly appear. 問（もん） is the counter for problems or questions.

Example:

1. “There are 5 English problems on this test.” → “このテストに英語問題5問が含まれています。” (このテストにえいごもんだいごもんがふくまれています)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One question	一問	いちもん	ichimon
Two questions	二問	にもん	nimon
Three questions	三問	さんもん	sanmon
Four questions	四問	よんもん	yonmon
Five questions	五問	ごもん	gomon
Six questions	六問	ろくもん	rokumon
Seven questions	七問	ななもん / しちもん	nanamon / shichimon
Eight questions	八問	はちもん	hachimon
Nine questions	九問	きゅうもん	kyuumon
Ten questions	十問	じゅうもん	juumon

点（てん）- Dots, Points, Pottery, Artwork

点(てん) is most commonly used for scoring. Whether it’s for a test score or a sports game, points are tallied using this counter.  This can refer to not only points when keeping score, but also when referring to information (like the points in a bullet list).  You can hear used in meetings when someone is going through different points/issues to discuss.  In addition, 点 is also used when counting things like artwork or pottery.

Example:

1. “I got a 100 on the test!” → “テストで100点取った！” (テストで100てんとった)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One point/art piece	一点	いってん	itten
Two points/art pieces	二点	にてん	niten
Three points/art pieces	三点	さんてん	santen
Four points/art pieces	四点	よんてん	yonten
Five points/art pieces	五点	ごてん	goten
Six points/art pieces	六点	ろくてん	rokuten
Seven points/art pieces	七点	ななてん	nanaten
Eight points/art pieces	八点	はちてん / はってん	hachiten / hatten
Nine points/art pieces	九点	きゅうてん	kyuuten
Ten points/art pieces	十点	じゅってん / じってん	jutten / jitten

Cooking and Dining

One of my favorite things about Japan is the food. Here are some useful food-related counters, whether you’re eating out or trying your hand at Japanese recipes in your own home.

名（めい）- Number of People

If you are trying to reserve a restaurant or even just walking in, this will be the first question you are asked. “How many people are in your party?”

Example:

“How many people in your party?” “Two.”

1. “何名様ですか？” “2名/2人です。” (なんめいさまですか? にめい/ふたりです)

**Important: although counting people using 人 relies on the ~つ counting method from 1~2, you cannot use the ~つ method with 名(めい). It isn’t correct to say “ひと名” or “ふた名.” However, as shown in the example, you can respond to the question 何名様ですか？ using either 名 or 人 as your counter.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One person	一名	いちめい	ichimei
Two people	二名	にめい	nimei
Three people	三名	さんめい	sanmei
Four people	四名	よんめい	yonmei
Five people	五名	ごめい	gomei
Six people	六名	ろくめい	rokumei
Seven people	七名	ななめい / しちめい	nanamei / shichimei
Eight people	八名	はちめい	hachimei
Nine people	九名	きゅうめい	kyuumei
Ten people	十名	じゅうめい	juumei

杯（はい）- Cups/Glasses of Liquid, Bowls of Food (Particularly Rice, Noodles, or Curry)

As hinted by the toasting cheer 乾杯(かんぱい), 杯(はい) is generally used to refer to cups or glasses used for drinking. Another common use is for counting bowls of rice, noodles, curry, or other foods eaten from a bowl.

Examples:

1. “We’d like 4 beers, please.” → “ビールを4杯ください。” (ビールをよんはいください)
2. “Can I have another bowl of rice, please?” → “ごはんをもう一杯いただいていいですか？” (ごはんをもういっぱいいただいていいですか)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One cup/bowl	一杯	いっぱい	ippai
Two cups/bowls	二杯	にはい	nihai
Three cups/bowls	三杯	さんばい	sanbai
Four cups/bowls	四杯	よんはい	yonhai
Five cups/bowls	五杯	ごはい	gohai
Six cups/bowls	六杯	ろっぱい	roppai
Seven cups/bowls	七杯	ななはい	nanahai
Eight cups/bowls	八杯	はっぱい / はちはい	happai / hachihai
Nine cups/bowls	九杯	きゅうはい	kyuuhai
Ten cups/bowls	十杯	じゅっぱい / じっぱい	juppai / jippai

盛（もり）- Serving Sizes; Bowls, Cups, or Baskets of Something

While 盛 (もり) is used to count certain types of servings (typically things found in bowls or baskets, i.e., fruits, pudding), you will probably see it most often when referring to the size of a serving. This usage might not be the traditional sense of a counter, but it is incredibly common in restaurant menus or verbal orders. In this situation, we don’t use numbers, but sizes: 小(こ) – small, 並(なみ) – regular, and 大(おお) – large.

Example:

1. “I’d like a regular serving of rice, please.” → “ご飯を並盛でお願いします。” (ごはんをなみもりでおねがいします)

If you are using 盛 to count something, be aware that it uses the つ system for 1~2 items.

Example:

1. “I got one basket of peaches at a grocery store.” → “スーパーで桃を１盛買いました。” (スーパーでももをひともりかいました)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One basket (of something)	一盛	ひともり	hitomori
Two baskets (of something)	二盛	ふたもり	futamori
Three baskets (of something)	三盛	さんもり	sanmori
Four baskets (of something)	四盛	よんもり	yonmori
Five baskets (of something)	五盛	ごもり	gomori
Six baskets (of something)	六盛	ろくもり	rokumori
Seven baskets (of something)	七盛	ななもり	nanamori
Eight baskets (of something)	八盛	はちもり	hachimori
Nine baskets (of something)	九盛	きゅうもり	kyuumori
Ten baskets (of something)	十盛	じゅうもり	juumori

合（ごう）- Cups for Measuring Rice (Approx. 0.18 Liters)

This counter might seem specific, but it is an important one since rice is Japan’s staple food. When you buy a Japanese rice cooker, it will come with a special cup for measuring rice. You don’t want to get this wrong, because the incorrect amount of water per 合(ごう) of dry rice can make for an unpleasant eating experience.

This can also be used to count sake bottles.

Example:

1. “I’ll cook two cups of rice.” → “ご飯2合を炊きます。” (ごはんにごうをたきます)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One cup of rice (dry)	一合	いちごう	ichigou
Two cups of rice (dry)	二合	にごう	nigou
Three cups of rice (dry)	三合	さんごう	sangou
Four cups of rice (dry)	四合	よんごう	yongou
Five cups of rice (dry)	五合	ごごう	gogou
Six cups of rice (dry)	六合	ろくごう	rokugou
Seven cups of rice (dry)	七合	ななごう	nanagou
Eight cups of rice (dry)	八合	はちごう	hachigou
Nine cups of rice (dry)	九合	きゅうごう	kyuugou
Ten cups of rice (dry)	十合	じゅうごう	juugou

匙（さじ）- Spoonful

Another useful counter for cooking, さじ is used mainly for counting spoons full of something. Much like 盛(もり), it doubles as a standard of measurement. 小さじ(こさじ) is the term for teaspoon and 大さじ(おおさじ) is the term for tablespoon. You might notice that both of these terms are not written in kanji. さじ is almost always written in hiragana. However, some cookbooks might use the kanji, so it’s good to know what it looks like.

Examples:

1. “Ingredients: 1 Tbsp salt, 2 tsp olive oil, a pinch of pepper” → “材料：塩大さじ1杯、オリーブ油小さじ2杯、コショウ少々.” (ざいりょう：しおおおさじいっぱい、オリーブゆこさじにはい、コショウしょうしょう)
2. “I would like two spoons of sugar in my coffee, please.” → “コーヒーに砂糖を２さじ入れてください.” (コーヒーにさとうをふたさじいれてください)

Be careful about counting spoons full of something versus counting tablespoons and teaspoons. You may notice that in the case of さじ being used to designate teaspoons or tablespoons, it requires the counter 杯(はい)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One spoonful	一匙	ひとさじ	hitosaji
Two spoonfuls	二匙	ふたさじ	futasaji
Three spoonfuls	三匙	さんさんじ / みさじ	sansaji / misaji
Four spoonfuls	四匙	よんさじ	yonsaji
Five spoonfuls	五匙	ごさじ	gosaji
Six spoonfuls	六匙	ろくさじ	rokusaji
Seven spoonfuls	七匙	ななさじ	nanasaji
Eight spoonfuls	八匙	はちさじ / はっさじ	hachisaji / hassaji
Nine spoonfuls	九匙	きゅうさじ	kyuusaji
Ten spoonfuls	十匙	じゅうさじ / じゅっさじ	juusaji / jussaji

膳（ぜん）- Chopsticks

If you are buying ready-to-eat food at a convenience store or supermarket, this counter might be used. 膳(ぜん) is the specific counter used for pairs of chopsticks.

A Typical Conversation Sounds Like This:

1. “Would you like chopsticks?” “Yes, two pairs, please.” → “お箸付けますか？” “はい、2膳おねがいします。” (おはしつけますか？ はい、にぜんおねがいします)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One pair of chopsticks	一膳	いちぜん	ichizen
Two pairs of chopsticks	二膳	にぜん	nizen
Three pairs of chopsticks	三膳	さんぜん	sanzen
Four pairs of chopsticks	四膳	よんぜん	yonzen
Five pairs of chopsticks	五膳	ごぜん	gozen
Six pairs of chopsticks	六膳	ろくぜん	rokuzen
Seven pairs of chopsticks	七膳	ななぜん	nanazen
Eight pairs of chopsticks	八膳	はちぜん	hachizen
Nine pairs of chopsticks	九膳	きゅうぜん	kyuuzen
Ten pairs of chopsticks	十膳	じゅうぜん	juuzen

貫（かん）- Sushi

Another specific counter, 貫(かん)s for the sushi lovers. It is useful if you’re eating at a sushi restaurant and want to show off your Japanese skills.

Example:

1. “I would like two pieces of tuna sushi, please.” → “マグロ握りを2貫ください。” (マグロにぎりをにかんください)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
One piece of sushi	一貫	いっかん	ikkan
Two pieces of sushi	二貫	にかん	nikan
Three pieces of sushi	三貫	さんかん	sankan
Four pieces of sushi	四貫	よんかん	yonkan
Five pieces of sushi	五貫	ごかん	gokan
Six pieces of sushi	六貫	ろっかん	rokkan
Seven pieces of sushi	七貫	ななかん	nanakan
Eight pieces of sushi	八貫	はちかん / はっかん	hachikan / hakkan
Nine pieces of sushi	九貫	きゅうかん	kyuukan
Ten pieces of sushi	十貫	じゅっかん	jukkan

In Conclusion

Japanese is a language full of counters. While there are quite a few that would be beneficial to learn, you can survive just as well using only 個（こ）and つ. Are there any counters that have helped you in your journey to study Japanese or live abroad in Japan?

If there are, please leave a comment below or send me an e-mail! I would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading along, and good luck with your studies!