To count in Japanese

Introduction

To count objects, animals or people in Japanese is rather specific. Indeed it is necessary to intercalate between the number and the object of counting a suffix depend on nature on this object. Sometimes, the pronunciation of the number can even be affected about it.

Exemples for 二 (2) :

Numbers

To count to defect

When the meter specific to use is not known or certain, one can use the meter by defect: つ

If one does not make a real error by using this meter on any occasion, that however gives the impression of speaking like a three year old child (like: give me cake mom).

Exemple: 練習には質問がここのつあります. There are 9 questions in the exercise.

The specifying numeral one by defect can be used to count the things known as abstract, like the questions of a exercise.

Numeration of the human beings

To count people

To count people, the meter should be used: 人 (り/にん). Exemple: 車には何人いますか. 五人います. How much people is there in the car? There are five people.

Expression of the age

When one wishes to inform the age of somebody, one uses the meter 歳 (さい). Phonetic exception: in the case of twenty year old somebody, his age (二十歳) decides はたち hatachi .

Exemple: わたしはじゅっさいです. わたしは十歳です. I have 10 ans.
Note: Because of the complexity of the kanji 歳, it is often replaced, when one writes with the hand, by the homophonous kanji 才 (talent, genius). There is however no reason to use this abbreviation when one writes with a computer.

To count animals

To count animals first of all requires to determine the type of animal which is counted:

Birds and rabbits
Small animals
& large animals

Birds and rabbits

The birds have a specific meter: 羽 (は). This meter undergoes a certain number of euphonic modifications . It should be noted that so in the beginning 羽 ha was marked, it is from now on marked wa , and its transcription は is sometimes changed into わ, which changes the aforementioned euphonic modifications. This is why the two possibilities are reproduced in the table, in the form of a choice between (1) and (2):

Exemple: にわにはとりが七羽います. In the garden, there are seven birds.

Small animals

The small animals such as the cats (猫 - ねこ), the dogs (犬 - いぬ), the fish, insects… have like meter: 匹 (ひき). This meter undergoes a certain number of euphonic modifications .

Exemple:

うちには猫が三匹います.

うちにはねこがさんびきいます.

At the house, there are three cats.

Large animals

The other animals (not specifically small and not belonging to the caste of the birds) such as the elephants, the diplodocus (ディプロドクス), the dragons (竜) or the whales use the meter 頭 (とう).

Exemple: 水族館には鯨が八頭います. With the aquarium there are eight whales.

To count objects

To count objects requires a rather complex categorization of the types of objects because the rules are as numerous as the exceptions. The main categories of objects are:

fine Objects & dishes (stamps, cloths…)
technological Objects (cars, television stations, wandering MP3…)
long & cylindrical Objects (pencils, fingers, trees, umbrella…)
Very small objects
Clothing
Objects connected (books, dictionaries, magazines)
Objects carried to the feet (socks, shoes…)
Sections (of cake, bread, ham…)
Liquid contents in containers
Pills, gélules, drugs of round form…
etc

Fine & flat objects

The meter 枚 (まい) applies to the fine & flat objects such as stamps, cloths…

Technological objects

The meter 台 (だい) applies to the technological objects and vehicles such as cars, bicycles, television stations, wandering MP3…

Long & cylindrical objects

The meter 本 (ほん) applies to the long & cylindrical objects such as pencils, fingers, trees… This meter undergoes a certain number of euphonic modifications .

Very small objects

To count small objects like trombones, gums, dice, crescents… the meter 個 is used (こ).

Clothing

The meter 着 (ちゃく) applies to clothing.

Objects connected

The meter 冊 (さつ) applies to the objects connected such as books, dictionaries, magazines…

Objects carried to the foot

The meter 足 (そく) applies to the objects carried to the foot the such socks, shoes…

Sections

The meter 切れ (きれ) applies to the sections of cake, bread, ham…

Liquids contained in containers

The meter 杯 (はい) applies to the liquids contained in cups, glasses… This meter undergoes a certain number of euphonic modifications .

Pills

The meter 錠 (じょう) applies to the pills, gélules and other drugs of round form.

Durations

Years

The specifying employee for the years is 年 (ねん).

Exemple: 二千年 (nor SEN nen) “the year 2000”

Month

For the months, it is か月 (かげつ) or ヶ月 (かげつ)

See also the detailed article: Month of the year in Japanese

Weeks

For the weeks, it is 週間 (しゅうかん)

Days

For the days, it is 日 (か/にち).

These terms indicate one duration (one day ago, in three days…). However, when one wants to speak about the number of the day inside the month, the exceptions appear, for example 一日 is read ついたち (tsuitachi), to also see the Dates in Japanese for more information.

Hours

That employed to count the hours, it is 時間 (じかん).

Minutes

To count the minutes, the meter 分 is used (ふん). This meter undergoes a certain number of euphonic modifications .

Exemples:
五分 (go fun): 5 minutes
二十分 (nor jū pun): 20 minutes

Seconds

Constructions

Buildings

The meter 軒 (けん) applies to the buildings, buildings, houses…

Stages

The meter for the stages is 階 (かい)

Exemple: 二階建て. A building of two stages.

Attention, the stages are counted “with American”: 一階 is the ground floor, 二階 is first stage etc

The préfix ちか is added to count the basement.

Exemple: ちゅうしゃじょうはちか二階です. The carpark is with the second under ground.

Parks

Other cases

Classification

The meter 番 (ばん) is used when objects are numbered, to indicate one of them by the number which is associated for him.

Exemple: このバスは四番です. - This bus is the n°4.

Classification

To say: “the first, the second, the third…” one uses a second meter, 目 (め) that one adds with the meter 番 (ばん) considering above.

Frequency

For the frequency the meter is 回 (かい).

次回 ( jikai ) means " next the fois".

It should be noted that the pronunciation of the meter for the frequency is sometimes the same one as that of the meter for the stages. However, 階 and 回 are different.

Sections

To count the lessons of a handbook or the sections and chapters of a book, one uses 課 (section) with 第 (ordinal).

Exemple: 昨日第五課を全部やってしまった. - Yesterday, we made all lesson 5.

See too

Japanese

Numbers in the world

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