Japanese Numbers & Counters: How to Count Objects

Counting in Japanese is straightforward, but there's a unique feature you need to know: Counters (助数詞 - josūshi). In English, you can say "two people" or "three pencils." In Japanese, you must add a special "counter word" after the number that corresponds to the type of object you're counting.

Think of it like saying "two sheets of paper" or "three cups of water." Japanese does this for almost everything.

First, the Basic Numbers

Before we get to counters, here are the pure numbers. Most counters use these readings.

1
いち (ichi)

2
に (ni)

3
さん (san)

4
よん/し (yon/shi)

5
ご (go)

6
ろく (roku)

7
なな/しち (nana/shichi)

8
はち (hachi)

9
きゅう/く (kyū/ku)

10
じゅう (jū)

The Most Common Counters

There are hundreds of counters, but you only need a handful for daily conversation. The structure is: Noun + Particle + Number + Counter + Verb.

The Universal Counter: 〜つ (tsu)

When you're starting out or forget the specific counter for something, 〜つ (tsu) is your best friend. It can be used for most general, inanimate objects. Note that the numbers 1-10 have special readings for this counter.

りんごを三つください。(Ringo o mittsu kudasai.)

Please give me three apples.

一つ (hitotsu) - 1
二つ (futatsu) - 2
三つ (mittsu) - 3
四つ (yottsu) - 4
五つ (itsutsu) - 5
六つ (muttsu) - 6
七つ (nanatsu) - 7
八つ (yattsu) - 8
九つ (kokonotsu) - 9
十 (tō) - 10

People: 〜人 (nin)

Used for counting people. Be careful: one and two people are irregular!

学生が二人います。(Gakusei ga futari imasu.)

There are two students.

一人 (hitori) - 1 person (Irregular)
二人 (futari) - 2 people (Irregular)
三人 (sannin) - 3 people
四人 (yonin) - 4 people

Long, Cylindrical Objects: 〜本 (hon)

Used for things like pencils, bottles, umbrellas, and even train lines. The reading of this counter changes depending on the number preceding it (hon, bon, pon).

ビールを一本飲みました。(Bīru o ippon nomimashita.)

I drank one bottle of beer.

Flat, Thin Objects: 〜枚 (mai)

Used for paper, stamps, tickets, shirts, and plates.

切手を二枚買います。(Kitte o nimai kaimasu.)

I will buy two stamps.

Small, General Objects: 〜個 (ko)

Used for small, compact items like fruit, boxes, or erasers. It's similar to 〜つ but is more common for numbers above 10.

卵を六個食べました。(Tamago o rokko tabemashita.)

I ate six eggs.

Don't be overwhelmed! For now, focus on mastering 〜つ and 〜人. You'll pick up the others naturally as you encounter them. Using the wrong counter is a common mistake for learners, and people will almost always understand you.