{"id":3573,"date":"2014-05-29T17:59:29","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T17:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=3573"},"modified":"2014-06-06T15:38:27","modified_gmt":"2014-06-06T15:38:27","slug":"counting-basics-in-japanese-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/counting-basics-in-japanese-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Counting Basics in Japanese – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of you might know already how to count 1 through 10 or 1 through 100 in Japanese. When you count things in Japanese, depending on what you are counting, “COUNTER WORDS” becomes very important. \u00a0Sometimes, counter words are a bit confusing since you have to know WHICH counter word to use for what you are counting. \u00a0Let’s learn about counter words today in this lesson! Read on.<\/p>\n

In Japanese, “counter words” are called Joshu-shi (\u52a9\u6570\u8a5e\u3001\u3058\u3087\u3059\u3046\u3057). It is hard to say this word, let me show you some of the examples below so you can see how this\u00a0\u52a9\u6570\u8a5e changes as you count different things.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Counting Basics in Japanese<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the items can be counted using “tsu(\u3064)” at the end of each number, such as<\/p>\n

ONE- HITO TSU (\u4e00\u3064\u3001\u3072\u3068\u3064)<\/p>\n

TWO- FUTA TSU (\u4e8c\u3064\u3001\u3075\u305f\u3064)<\/p>\n

THREE – MIT TSU (\u4e09\u3064\u3001\u307f\u3063\u3064)<\/p>\n

FOUR – YOT TSU (\u56db\u3064\u3001\u3088\u3063\u3064)<\/p>\n

FIVE – ITSU TSU (\u4e94\u3064\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3064)<\/p>\n

SIX – MUT TSU (\u516d\u3064\u3001\u3080\u3063\u3064)<\/p>\n

SEVEN – NANA TSU (\u4e03\u3064\u3001\u306a\u306a\u3064)<\/p>\n

EIGHT – YAT TSU (\u516b\u3064\u3001\u3084\u3063\u3064)<\/p>\n

NINE – KOKONO TSU (\u4e5d\u3064\u3001\u3053\u3053\u306e\u3064)<\/p>\n

TEN – TO-O (\u5341\u3001\u3068\u304a*)<\/p>\n

*Note, the last one, the number 10 is pronounced as TO-O. There is no TSU(\u3064)at the end of it.<\/p>\n

This is the basic way of counting in Japanese; however, there are a specific way of counting as explained below.<\/p>\n

Smaller animals,\u00a0insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians –\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>“hiki (\u3072\u304d) or piki (\u3074\u304d)”<\/b><\/p>\n

For example,<\/p>\n

1pikki (\u3044\u3063\u3074\u304d), 2hiki (\u306b\u3072\u304d), 3biki(\u3055\u3093\u3073\u304d), 4hiki(\u3088\u3093\u3072\u304d), 5hiki(\u3054\u3072\u304d), 6pikki(\u308d\u3063\u3074\u304d), 7hiki(\u306a\u306a\u3072\u304d), 8pikki(\u306f\u3063\u3074\u304d), 9hiki(\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3072\u304d), 10pikki(\u3058\u3085\u3063\u3074\u304d)<\/p>\n

I saw 2 dogs yesterday.<\/p>\n

Watashi wa, kinou 2hiki no inu o mita. – \u79c1\u306f\u3001\u6628\u65e5\uff12\u5339\u306e\u72ac\u3092\u898b\u305f\u3002\uff08\u00a0\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f\u3001\u304d\u306e\u3046\uff12\u3072\u304d\u306e\u3044\u306c\u3092\u307f\u305f\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Larger\u00a0animals –\u00a0<\/strong>“tou (\u3068\u3046)”<\/b><\/p>\n

For example,<\/p>\n

1tou (\u3044\u3063\u3068\u3046), 2tou (\u306b\u3068\u3046), 3tou(\u3055\u3093\u3068\u3046), 4tou(\u3088\u3093\u3068\u3046), 5tou(\u3054\u3068\u3046), 6tou(\u308d\u304f\u3068\u3046), 7tou(\u306a\u306a\u3068\u3046), 8tou(\u306f\u3061\u3068\u3046), 9tou(\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3068\u3046), 10tou(\u3058\u3085\u3063\u3068\u3046)<\/p>\n

I saw 2 elephants at the zoo yesterday.<\/p>\n

Watashi wa, kinou 2tou no zou o mita. – \u79c1\u306f\u3001\u6628\u65e5\u4e8c\u982d\u306e\u8c61\u3092\u898b\u305f\u3002\uff08\u00a0\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f\u3001\u304d\u306e\u3046\uff12\u3068\u3046\u306e\u305e\u3046\u3092\u307f\u305f\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Long, thin objects: rivers, roads, train tracks, ties, pencils, bottles – “pon (\u672c\u3001\u307d\u3093) , hon(\u672c\u3001\u307b\u3093), bon(\u672c\u3001\u307c\u3093)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>“<\/strong><\/p>\n

For example,<\/p>\n

1pon (\u3044\u3063\u307d\u3093), 2hon (\u306b\u307b\u3093), 3bon(\u3055\u3093\u307c\u3093), 4hon(\u3088\u3093\u307b\u3093), 5hon(\u3054\u307b\u3093), 6pon(\u308d\u3063\u307d\u3093), 7hon(\u306a\u306a\u307b\u3093), 8pon(\u306f\u3063\u307d\u3093), 9hon(\u304d\u3085\u3046\u307b\u3093), 10pon(\u3058\u3085\u3063\u307d\u3093)<\/p>\n

I have two pencils.<\/p>\n

Watashi wa nihon no enpitsu o motteimasu. – \u79c1\u306f\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u925b\u7b46\u3092\u6301\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f\u3001\u306b\u307b\u3093\u306e\u3000\u3048\u3093\u3074\u3064\u3092\u3082\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Number of floors\u00a0– “kai (\u968e\u3001\u304b\u3044) “<\/strong><\/p>\n

For example,<\/p>\n

1kai (\u3044\u3063\u304b\u3044), 2kai (\u306b\u304b\u3044), 3kai(\u3055\u3093\u304b\u3044), 4kai(\u3088\u3093\u304b\u3044), 5kai(\u3054\u304b\u3044), 6kai(\u308d\u3063\u304b\u3044), 7kai(\u306a\u306a\u304b\u3044), 8kai(\u306f\u3063\u304b\u3044), 9kai(\u304d\u3085\u3046\u304b\u3044), 10kai(\u3058\u3085\u3063\u304b\u3044)<\/p>\n

I live on the 3rd floor.<\/p>\n

Watashi wa san kai ni sunde imasu. – \u79c1\u306f\u3001\uff13\u968e\u306b\u4f4f\u3093\u3067\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f\u3001\u3055\u3093\u304b\u3044\u306b\u3059\u3093\u3067\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

I will cover more variations in the next series of “counting basics in Japanese” lesson.<\/p>\n

For your reference, take a look at the following video.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n