In Japanese, you need to use a counter any time you form a phrase with a number and a noun, like "six children," "four ideas," or "two million dollars." The counter you use will depend on what kind of thing you are counting. For example:
counter
→ The counter 本 is mostly used to count long thin objects (like bananas!)
→ The counter 個 is a counter with broad application, used for many 3D objects.
In our introduction to Japanese counters, we discussed what Japanese counters are and how to use four of the most common ones: つ[tsu], 個[ko], 本[hon], and 枚[mai]. However, there are literally hundreds more counters in Japanese! While you don't need to know all of them, there are at least a couple dozen more that you'll use or encounter all the time, even in everyday conversation.
In this article, we’ll talk about some of the other counters: ones you'll use for creatures, machines, pieces of furniture, vehicles, clothes, foods, books, and more! Ready to have a look? Let's get counting!
Living things
In Japanese, the most common counters for humans and animals are 人[nin], 匹[hiki], 頭[tō], and 羽[wa]. Let's look at each one!
人 [nin] for humans
Human beings are most frequently counted with 人[nin]. Usually, this is combined with a Chinese-origin number, as in １１人[jūichi nin]. However, there are exceptional forms when we combine it with the numbers 1, 2, and 4.
One person is １人[hitori].
Two people is ２人[futari],
Four people is ４人[yo nin].
Here's an example in a sentence:
パーティーに友達を４人呼びましたが、１人は来られませんでした。
Pātii ni tomodachi o yo nin yobimashita ga, hitori wa koraremasendeshita.
I invited four friends to my party, but one of them couldn’t come.
You can also use 名[mei] for people, especially when counting the members of a group or organization. You'll often use this to ask about the number of people in a group, using the phrase 何名[nan mei](how many people?). For example, you'll often hear a conversation like this in a restaurant:
Waiter:何名様ですか。
Nan mei sama desu ka.
How many people are in your group?
→ The honorific 様[sama]is added after 何名[nan mei] to sound more polite. We don't use this after 人[nin] though!
匹 [hiki] for small animals
Living creatures such as small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects, that are small enough to be picked up, are counted with 匹[hiki]. For example:
Speaker A:池の中にコイがいるね。何匹いるの？
Ike no naka ni koi ga iru ne. Nan biki iru no?
There are carp in the pond, aren’t they? How many do you have?
Speaker B:金色のが１匹と、黒いのが３匹と、赤いのが５匹。
Kin’iro no ga ippiki to, kuroi no ga san biki to, akai no ga go hiki.
One golden one, three black ones, and five red ones.
Did you notice that the pronunciation of 匹[hiki] changes after certain numbers? Here are the ones to watch out for:
１匹 [ippiki]
３匹[sanbiki]
６匹 [roppiki]
８匹 [happiki]
１０匹 [juppiki]
何匹[nan biki](how many?)
頭 [tō] for bigger animals
Bigger animals such as large dogs, lions, horses, whales, dinosaurs are counted with 頭[tō](lit. head). Usually, you'll use this counter if an animal is too large to pick up easily, but there are some exceptions. For example, working dogs like police dogs are counted with 頭[to] regardless of their size.
To ask about a number of animals, you can always use the generic question wordどのくらい[donokurai], regardless of the size of the creature. See the example below:
Speaker A:この牧場には動物がどのくらいいるんですか。
Kono bokujō ni wa dōbutsu ga donokurai irundesu ka.
How many animals do you have in this ranch?
Speaker B:牛が４頭と、羊が１０匹と、ボーダーコリーが２頭と、猫が１匹です。
Ushi ga yon tō to, hitsuji ga juppiki to, bōdākorii ga ni tō to, neko ga ippiki desu.
We have four cows, ten sheep, two border collies, and one cat.
羽 [wa] for birds
We use 羽[wa] for birds of all sizes. For example:
木の枝にカラスが３羽とまっています。
Ki no eda ni karasu ga san ba / san wa tomatte imasu.
Three ravens are perched on the branch of the tree.
→ You can say either “san ba” or “san wa” in this case.
田中君と山田君と鈴木君は、我が校バスケ部の三羽烏だ。
Tanaka kun to Yamada kun to Suzuki kun wa wagakō basukebu no sanba garasu da.
Tanaka, Yamada, and Suzuki are the best three players in our school’s basketball team.
→ In this case, it has to be “sanba” since it’s a part of an idiom.
Notice that 羽[wa] is sometimes pronounced [ba]:
Traditionally, ３羽 is pronounced [sanba], and the question word 何羽 is pronounced [nanba].
Today, it's also usually acceptable to pronounce them [san wa] and [nan wa].
In some idioms, though, only the [ba] pronunciation is allowed:
三羽烏
✅ sanba garasu
❌ sanwa garasu
the best three among a group
lit. three crows
千羽鶴
✅ senbazuru
❌ senwazuru
one-thousand origami cranes
In Japan, hares and rabbits have been historically counted with 羽[wa]. The possible explanations galore (e.g., their long ears looked like wings; or during the eras when eating four-legged animals was prohibited, some people pretended that hare were birds so that they could eat them). When you go to a pet store today, however, you’ll probably see them counted with 匹[hiki].
In a reverse case, こうもり[kōmori](bat) can be counted either with 匹[hiki] or 羽[wa]. No explanation is needed here, right? Though they are small mammals, they have wings and fly like birds!
Machines and appliances
In Japanese, machines and appliances are mostly counted using 台[dai] or 基 [ki]. Vehicles use different counters though, we'll talk about those below!
台 [dai] for small machines
Small to medium machines and appliances, ones that can be carried or moved, are generally counted with 台[dai]. This includes things like smartphones, personal computers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, treadmills, and portable generators.
ホテルのジムにはランニングマシンが１０台置いてあった。
Hoteru no jimu ni wa ran’ningu mashin ga jū dai oite atta.
There were ten treadmills in the hotel gym.
基 [ki] for large machines
Large machines, of the sort that are set to a foundation or structure are counted with 基[ki]. This would include elevators, ski lifts, generators in power plants, or supercomputers.
このビルにはエレベーターが３基あるが、１基は故障中だ。
Kono biru ni wa erebētā ga san ki aru ga, ikki wa koshōchū da.
This building has three elevators, but one of them is out of order.
Historically, robots were mostly counted with 台[dai]. But in more recent times, some types of robots are counted using other counters:
Some people count robotic pets using匹[hiki], like you might count small animals.
Android characters from anime and films, like Astro Boy or Data, are often counted like people, using 人[nin] because they look and act like humans.
What should you do for in-between robots, like C3PO and R2D2, who look like robots but act and feel (almost) like humans? Personally, I’d vote for 人[nin]!
Furniture
When counting pieces of pieces of furniture in Japanese, we usually use the counters 台[dai], 脚[kyaku], or点[ten]. For example:
ダイニング３点セットにはテーブル１台と椅子２脚が含まれています。
Dainingu san ten setto ni wa tēburu ichi dai to isu ni kyaku ga fukumarete imasu.
The three-piece dining set includes a table and two chairs.
But when should you use each?
| Large items of furniture like beds, desks, tables, couches, etc. |
| Chairs (sometimes other items with 4 legs too, like tables or couches) |
| Furnishings in general, like stocking an office or selling items in a store |
Vehicles
In Japanese, you'll most often use the counters 台[dai], 両 [ryō], 機[ki], 艘[sō], or 隻[seki] to count vehicles. Here's the difference:
| Land vehicles that don't require tracks, such as cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, and snow plows | 向かいの家の前に乗用車が５台とトラックが１台とまっている。 Mukai no ie no mae ni jōyōsha ga go dai to torakku ga ichi dai tomatte iru. Five cars and one truck are parked in front of the house across the street. |
| Cars of a vehicle that runs on tracks, like train cars or monorail cars | 新幹線「のぞみ」は１６両編成です。 Shinkansen “Nozomi” wa jūroku ryō hensei desu. The bullet train “Nozomi” has a sixteen-car formation. |
| Vehicles that fly, like airplanes, helicopters, hang gliders, rockets Rockets may also be counted with 台[dai], or even 本[hon] if they are smaller in size and thin and long in shape. | ビルの屋上にヘリコプターが１機着陸した。 Biru no okujō ni herikoputā ga ikki chakuriku shita. A helicopter landed on the rooftop of the building. |
| Small boats, like canoes or rowboats | 探検隊はカヤック７艘で川を下った。 Tankentai wa kayakku nana sō de kawao kudatta. The expedition team traveled down the river using seven kayaks. |
| Larger ships such as tankers and cruise ships |
Clothes and shoes
In Japanese, you'll mostly use the counters 着[chaku], 枚[mai], 本 [hon], or 足[soku] to count items of clothing or shoes.
冬物セールで、スーツを２着とセーターを４枚とジーンズを１本と靴を３足買いました。
Fuyumono sēru de, sūtsu o ni chaku to sētā o yon mai to jiinzu o ippon to kutsu o san zoku* kaimashita.
At the winter sale, I bought two suits, four sweaters, a pair of jeans and three pairs of shoes.
→ ３足 and the question word 何足 are traditionally pronounced “san zoku” and “nan zoku,” respectively. However, “san soku” and “nan soku” are acceptable alternatives.
Here are the rules for when to use each:
| Large items or outfits that cover the whole body, like suits, coats, dresses, or kimonos, and heavier jackets such as blazers |
| Narrow and long items, like neckties, trousers, and scarves |
| Items you wear on your feet, like shoes or socks |
Food and drink
In Japanese, you can use a variety of different counters including 本[hon], 枚[mai], 個[ko], 杯[hai], 品[hin], to count items of food or drink.
Shape counters for self-contained items
In general, self-contained food items like fruits, vegetables, or slices of pizza are counted based on their shape. For example:
| Narrow, long items, like bananas or carrots |
| Fat items such as pancakes, tortillas, and slices of ham |
| Items that are neither long nor flat, like apples, potatoes, rice balls |
For example:
冷蔵庫にはニンジンが１本と、ジャガイモが２個と、ハムが３枚しか入っていない。
Reizōko ni wa ninjin ga ippon to, jagaimo ga ni ko to, hamu ga san mai shika haitte inai.
There are only a carrot, two potatoes, and three (slices of) ham in my refrigerator.
杯 [hai] for deep containers
Foods and drinks served in deeper containers like cups or bowls are most often counted using 杯[hai].
ジャックは豚骨ラーメンを１２杯食べて、そのあと水をコップで３杯飲んだ。
Jakku wa tonkotsu rāmen o jūni hai tabete, sono ato mizu o koppu de san bai nonda.
Jack ate twelve (bowls of) ramen in pork-bone broth and then drank three (glasses of) water.
Items on a menu or courses, are counted with 品[hin] as in:
Speaker A:おまかせコースだと料理が何品出ますか。
Omakase kōsu da to ryōri ga nan pin demasu ka.
How many dishes does the Chef’s Choice course include?
Speaker B:８品です。そのうちの１品はデザートです。
Hachi hin desu. Sono uchi no ippin wa dezāto desu.
It includes eight dishes. One of them is a dessert.
Common noun counters for the container or shape
Food items are also often counted using common noun counters, describing the container that contains the food, like 皿[sara](dish). Here are a few examples:
Remember, though, that when the counter is a common noun, you'll need to use two different sets of numbers! For the lowest numbers, you'll use the Japanese-origin number, as in１皿[hito sara], ２皿[futa sara]. After the first couple numbers, though, we switch to the Chinese-origin numbers as in ３皿[san sara]. How far we use the Japanese-origin numbers depends on the counter, but usually it’s up to three or four.
Books and publications
When counting books or other publications, you'll most often use the counters 冊[satsu], 巻[kan], 頁[pēji], or 部[bu]. Here's when to use each:
| Physical books, magazines, dictionaries (including electronic versions) as well as notebooks |
| |
| Pages of a book or magazine |
| Booklets, brochures, newspapers, copies of published works |
Here's an example illustrating the difference between how we use冊[satsu] and 部[bu] to count books:
小説を１冊買った。この本は１００万部売れたそうだ。
Shōsetsu o issatsu katta. Kono hon wa hyakuman bu ureta sōda.
I bought a novel. I’ve heard that this book has sold one million copies.
Buildings and floors
In Japanese, we usually count buildings using 軒[ken](lit. eaves), and floors in those buildings using 階[kai].
軒 [ken] for buildings
Houses and small buildings are counted with 軒[ken](lit. eaves). We can also use 軒[ken] to count retail stores (including supermarkets and department stores), restaurants, hotels, and inns.
Speaker A:この通りにレストランが何軒ありますか。
Kono tōri ni resutoran ga nan gen arimasu ka.
How many restaurants are there on this street?
Speaker B:たぶん２０軒ぐらいでしょう。
Tabun nijukken gurai deshō.
There are twenty or so, I think.
Please note that the question word 何軒(how many?) is pronounced [nan gen].
階 [kai] for floors
Floors in buildings are counted with 階[kai]. It can be used for the number of floors (as in “three-story building”) or the designated floor (as in “the second floor”).
マンゴーデパートは１０階建てです。子供服売り場は３階です。
Mangō depāto wa jukkai-date desu. Kodomofuku uriba wa san gai desu.
Mango Department Store is a ten-story building. The children’s clothing section is on the third floor.
Please note that the pronunciation for ３階(3 floors / floor 3) is [sangai]and the question word 何階[how many floors / what floor] is [nangai]
Repetitions
Repetitions of actions or events are counted by 回[kai] or 度[do].
回[kai] can be used for any number of repetitions:
昨日から２０回ぐらい電話しているけど、だれも出ない。
Kinō kara nijukkai gurai denwa shite iru kedo, dare mo denai.
I’ve been calling them about twenty times since yesterday, but nobody answers.
度[do] is generally only for small numbers of repetitions, usually only up to about three:
２度あることは３度ある。
Ni do aru koto wa san do aru.
What happens twice will happen a third time.
→ A Japanese saying.
Age
When giving the age of someone or something, you'll usually use 歳[sai], but you can also use つ[tsu] for ages up to about 9 years old. However, there are some exceptional pronunciations. Have a look:
Speaker A:失礼ですが、おいくつですか。
Shitsurei desu ga, oikutsu desu ka.
Excuse me, but may I ask how old you are?
→ You can also ask using 何歳[nan sai](how old?) or the more polite おいくつ[oikutsu](how old?)
Speaker B:今、２０歳です。もうすぐ２１歳になります。
Ima, hatachi / nijussai desu. Mōsugu nijūissai ni narimasu.
I’m twenty years old right now. I’ll be twenty-one soon.
→ We can pronounce ２０歳 as either “hatachi” or “nijussai.”
Other useful counters
Here are some additional items and their counters you may find useful!
Colors are counted with 色[shoku].
２４色の色鉛筆
nijūyon shoku no iroenpitsu
Songs / tunes are counted with 曲[kyoku].
Points, whether for the scores for sports or kanji quizzes, are counted with 点[ten].
Exam or homework questions are counted either with 問[mon] or 題[dai]. We can also use 問[mon] to count questions in surveys.
数学の宿題がまだ３問残っている。
Sūgaku no shukudai ga mada san mon nokotteiru.
I still have three more questions left for my math homework.
Places and spots, whether geographical or on the surface of objects like tablecloths or exam sheets, are counted with 箇所[kasho].
寄りたい所が２箇所あるんだけど、つきあってくれる？
Yoritai tokoro ga ni kasho aru nda kedo, tsukiatte kureru?
I have two places I’d like to stop by. Can you come with me?
The order of questions or the rank in competitions is marked with 番[ban]. We can also use 位[i] for ranking in competitions.
マラソンで１番 / １位になった。
Marason de ichi ban / ichi i ni natta.
I placed first in the marathon race.
→ We can use either one. 位[i] sounds more formal.
To sum up
In this article, we looked at some further Japanese counters. We saw some of the counters you'll use to count different kinds of things, including:
| 人[nin], 匹[hiki], 頭[tō], 羽[wa] |
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| 台[dai], 両 (ryō), 機(ki), 艘[sō], 隻[seki] |
| 着[chaku], 枚[mai], 本 [hon], or 足[soku] |
| 本[hon], 枚[mai], 個[ko], 杯[hai], 品[hin], and many more! |
| 冊[satsu], 巻[kan], 頁[pēji], 部[bu] |
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As always, we have some fun Japanese counter activities you can try to practice using various counters. Also, make sure to check out the master list of Japanese counters we have created for you! For time and date counters, check out our post on how to say the time and date in Japanese. Happy learning!
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