In this guide
When I write a shopping list in English, I can put down “two notebooks” and “two pencils” without giving the numbers much thought. The same word, “two,” works for both. In Japanese, there’s another part to choose: a counting word that goes with the number and tells us what kind of thing, or what unit, we mean. These words are called counters. Notebooks and pencils use different ones.
That extra choice can make a counter reference look like a lot of lists to learn. The sounds can change when a number and counter join, too. I like to learn them together as a whole quantity, with a reason to say it. An order for two coffees is a useful place to start: you have something familiar to ask for, and you can see how the quantity fits into a sentence.
We’ll begin with that order, then use everyday quantities to say what’s there, describe a purchase and ask how many. Keep the reference handy as you go. You can look up a different number or object when you need it and try it in a sentence.
Already looking for a particular quantity? Jump to the counter reference.
Start with two coffees
For many everyday things and servings, the general つ series is useful. Two is ふたつ. Put the item first, then the quantity, then ください, meaning “please give me.” コーヒー (こーひー) means coffee; the ー lengthens the vowel before it.
コーヒーをふたつください。
こーひーをふたつください。
Two coffees, please.
The を after コーヒー marks what you’re asking for. In a café order, you’ll also hear it left out: コーヒーふたつください。 The quantity means two servings; you don’t need to name the cup. You’ll find another way to place the same order in the guide to saying “please” in Japanese.
Here are three quantities to try. They’re whole words: don’t add つ to いち or に. The small っ in みっつ makes a brief stop before the t sound.
- One: ひとつ
- Two: ふたつ
- Three: みっつ
ケーキをみっつください。
けーきをみっつください。
Three cakes, please. ケーキ (けーき) means cake.
This general series is handy for many small objects and food orders, but use a separate counter when you’re counting people. The general series’ full one-to-ten list is in the reference; for now, try making one order.
Order three cakes
You want three cakes. Choose the general quantity for three.
ケーキを＿ください。
Give a headcount
At a restaurant, the number of people uses 人. One person is 一人, ひとり, and two are 二人, ふたり. These are special whole words. Three is 三人, さんにん; four is 四人, よにん, without the ん of よん.
二人です。
There are two of us. A useful answer when giving your party size.
- 一人: ひとり
- 二人: ふたり
- 三人: さんにん
- 四人: よにん
I’d keep ひとり, ふたり and よにん together: those are the forms that need the most attention here. The people entry gives the rest of the one-to-ten list.
Give the headcount
There are four people in your party. Fill the gap in hiragana.
＿です。
Choose a counter for a shopping list
A pencil uses 本, the counter for long, slender things. A ticket uses 枚 for thin, flat things. For bound volumes such as notebooks, use 冊; for individual small pieces such as cookies, 個 is useful. These are everyday conventions: shape helps, but it won’t predict every choice.
The quantities below all use two. Choose the pair you need, rather than learning four number lists at once. Each quantity links to its counter entry for more objects and readings.
- 二本 — にほん: えんぴつ (pencils)
- 二枚 — にまい: チケット (ちけっと, tickets)
- 二冊 — にさつ: ノート (のーと, notebooks)
- 二個 — にこ: クッキー (くっきー, cookies)
One trap is worth catching: 本 on its own means “book,” but bound books are counted with 冊. The word naming the object and the word counting it have different jobs. Two books are 二冊, just like two notebooks.
Choose the useful pairs
Select every correctly counted quantity. Here, “books” means bound books and “tickets” means flat paper tickets.
Which pairs fit?
Let’s keep two notebooks ready for the next few examples. Changing the job of one familiar quantity is easier than meeting a new noun, counter and verb in every sentence.
Say what is there
To say that something is there, use あります for things and います for people and animals. Put the noun before が, followed by the quantity and the verb.
ノートが二冊あります。
のーとがにさつあります。
There are two notebooks.
人が二人います。
There are two people. 人 on its own means “person” and is read ひと.
You can add a place at the start with に. 部屋 means room, so 部屋に tells us where the people are.
部屋に人が二人います。
There are two people in the room.
The place and the quantity do different jobs: 部屋に gives the location, and 二人 gives the headcount. There’s no extra particle between the quantity and います. For notebooks, keep あります: 部屋にノートが二冊あります。
Choose the verb
Say that there are two people in the room.
部屋に人が二人＿。
あります is the polite form of ある, and います is the polite form of いる. The Study lesson below names the verbs as ある／いる; they’re the same pair we’ve just used.
Say what you bought
For an action, put を after the item, then the quantity before the verb. 買いました means “bought.” Our two notebooks can go straight into that pattern.
ノートを二冊買いました。
のーとをにさつかいました。
I bought two notebooks.
The を marks the notebooks as what you bought. 二冊 doesn’t need another を. Swap the item and counter together and you can describe a different purchase: チケットを二枚買いました means “I bought two tickets.”
Ask for the quantity
To ask how many notebooks there are, replace 二冊 with 何冊, read なんさつ. Add か to make the question. Here は introduces the thing you’re asking about.
ノートは何冊ありますか。
のーとはなんさつありますか。
How many notebooks are there?
二冊あります。
There are two. The notebooks are already clear from the question.
The question uses the same counter as the answer. For a headcount, 何人 (なんにん) asks “how many people?” In a restaurant, the short 何人ですか can be answered with 二人です。 Each reference entry below includes its own “how many?” form.
Ask about books
You want to know how many bound books there are. Choose the matching question word.
本は＿ありますか。
Another useful order: quantity + の + noun
You can also join the quantity to the front of the noun with の. 二冊のノート means “two notebooks.” The whole phrase then takes the particle it needs in the sentence.
二冊のノートを買いました。
にさつののーとをかいました。
I bought two notebooks.
This says the same amount as ノートを二冊買いました。 In the new order, を follows the whole “two notebooks” phrase. With あります, that phrase can take が instead: 二冊のノートがあります means “There are two notebooks.”
Link the quantity and noun
Use the quantity-before-noun order to say “I bought two notebooks.”
二冊＿ノートを買いました。
Make one sentence useful to you
You now have a few ways to give a quantity a job: ask for it, say it’s there, describe a purchase, or ask how many. Choose the one you’re likely to use today. Keep a familiar quantity, then change the situation; the reference below is there when you want a different number or object.
Write one sentence you could use today
Write an order, a sentence about what is there, a purchase, or a how-many question. Choose one familiar item and a quantity. You can use the reference below. This field doesn’t check your sentence or save Study progress.
Copy your Japanese text, then paste it into the checker. This writing space does not assess or save your text.
Counter reference: choose an entry when you need it
Use this part as a reference, rather than another set of steps to finish in order. Find what you’re counting, check the number in that entry, then put the quantity into a sentence. Each list keeps the number and its reading together under one counter heading; the last line gives the “how many?” form.
- General things and servings: つ
- People: 人
- Long, slender things: 本
- Thin, flat things: 枚
- Bound books and notebooks: 冊
- Small individual pieces: 個
- Small animals: 匹
- Machines and vehicles: 台
- Cupfuls and servings: 杯
- Times something happens: 回
For sentence placement, return to an order, what is there, a purchase or a question.
General things and servings: つ
Use the native つ series for many everyday things and food orders. It’s useful for a cookie or a serving, but it isn’t a universal substitute for specific counters. People use 人. Ten is とお, without つ, and this particular series stops at ten.
- 1: ひとつ
- 2: ふたつ
- 3: みっつ
- 4: よっつ
- 5: いつつ
- 6: むっつ
- 7: ななつ
- 8: やっつ
- 9: ここのつ
- 10: とお
- Ask: いくつ
To ask how many general things there are, use いくつ: クッキーはいくつありますか means “How many cookies are there?” A cookie can be クッキーひとつ or クッキー一個; both are useful ways to count one cookie.
People: 人
Count people with 人. The special forms are 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり) and 四人 (よにん). For seven people, both ななにん and しちにん are used. I’d start with ななにん and learn to recognize the other reading.
- 1: ひとり
- 2: ふたり
- 3: さんにん
- 4: よにん
- 5: ごにん
- 6: ろくにん
- 7: ななにん / しちにん
- 8: はちにん
- 9: きゅうにん
- 10: じゅうにん
- Ask: 何人 — なんにん
Beyond ten, eleven people is 十一人 (じゅういちにん) and twelve is 十二人 (じゅうににん). These forms don’t attach ひとり or ふたり to ten. Check unfamiliar larger quantities rather than extending the special first two words.
Long, slender things: 本
本 counts pencils, umbrellas and bottles, among other long, slender objects. かさ means umbrella. One umbrella gives you the whole form 一本, いっぽん, with a brief stop before the p sound.
かさを一本ください。
One umbrella, please.
- 1: いっぽん
- 2: にほん
- 3: さんぼん
- 4: よんほん
- 5: ごほん
- 6: ろっぽん
- 7: ななほん
- 8: はっぽん
- 9: きゅうほん
- 10: じゅっぽん
- Ask: 何本 — なんぼん
Notice the changing counter sounds: ほん in 二本, ぼん in 三本, ぽん in 一本. For eight, はちほん is also used; ten can also be じっぽん. These are changes to learn with this counter, rather than apply to every counter.
You may see either digits or kanji before a counter: 3本 and 三本 both mean さんぼん. Eleven slender objects are 十一本, じゅういっぽん, which includes the familiar いっぽん.
Thin, flat things: 枚
枚 is useful for paper, tickets, shirts and plates. 紙 means paper. Its ordinary one-to-ten forms keep the number easy to hear: six sheets are 六枚, ろくまい.
チケットを三枚ください。
ちけっとをさんまいください。
Three tickets, please.
- 1: いちまい
- 2: にまい
- 3: さんまい
- 4: よんまい
- 5: ごまい
- 6: ろくまい
- 7: ななまい
- 8: はちまい
- 9: きゅうまい
- 10: じゅうまい
- Ask: 何枚 — なんまい
For a larger example, twenty sheets are 二十枚, にじゅうまい. The counter remains まい.
Bound books and notebooks: 冊
Use 冊 for bound volumes: books, notebooks and magazines. 本 means “book”; count the volumes with 冊. For six volumes, say ろくさつ; the shortened ろっ of 六本 (ろっぽん) doesn’t carry over.
本を二冊読みました。
I read two books. 読みました means “read” in the past.
- 1: いっさつ
- 2: にさつ
- 3: さんさつ
- 4: よんさつ
- 5: ごさつ
- 6: ろくさつ
- 7: ななさつ
- 8: はっさつ
- 9: きゅうさつ
- 10: じゅっさつ
- Ask: 何冊 — なんさつ
Ten volumes can also be じっさつ. For one and eight, notice the small っ in いっさつ and はっさつ.
Find the quantity for six books
You’re counting six bound books. Write just the quantity in hiragana, with no spaces. You can use this entry’s reading list.
Six books → ＿
Small individual pieces: 個
個 counts individual pieces or small, compact objects such as cookies. It can overlap with the general つ series, and it continues beyond ten. Twelve cookies are 十二個, じゅうにこ.
クッキーが十二個あります。
くっきーがじゅうにこあります。
There are twelve cookies.
- 1: いっこ
- 2: にこ
- 3: さんこ
- 4: よんこ
- 5: ごこ
- 6: ろっこ
- 7: ななこ
- 8: はっこ
- 9: きゅうこ
- 10: じゅっこ
- Ask: 何個 — なんこ
Small animals: 匹
Use 匹 for small animals such as cats, dogs and fish. 猫 means cat. In an existence sentence, animals use います, just as people do. Birds and large animals have other usual counters.
猫が二匹います。
There are two cats.
- 1: いっぴき
- 2: にひき
- 3: さんびき
- 4: よんひき
- 5: ごひき
- 6: ろっぴき
- 7: ななひき
- 8: はっぴき
- 9: きゅうひき
- 10: じゅっぴき
- Ask: 何匹 — なんびき
The counter starts with h in にひき, b in さんびき and p in いっぴき. Keep the number and counter together when you say them.
Choose the quantity for three cats
You want to say that there are three cats. Choose the quantity. The reading list is available if you need it.
ねこが＿います。
Machines and vehicles: 台
台 counts machines, computers and vehicles such as cars. 車 means car. Cars use あります in an existence sentence. The ordinary one-to-ten forms keep だい throughout.
車が二台あります。
There are two cars.
- 1: いちだい
- 2: にだい
- 3: さんだい
- 4: よんだい
- 5: ごだい
- 6: ろくだい
- 7: ななだい
- 8: はちだい
- 9: きゅうだい
- 10: じゅうだい
- Ask: 何台 — なんだい
Cupfuls and servings: 杯
杯 counts cupfuls, glassfuls and bowlfuls. It measures a serving, rather than counting an empty container as an object. With coffee, 二杯 means two cupfuls. Our opening コーヒーふたつ order is useful too; 杯 makes the serving unit more specific.
コーヒーを三杯飲みました。
こーひーをさんばいのみました。
I drank three cups of coffee. 飲みました means “drank.”
- 1: いっぱい
- 2: にはい
- 3: さんばい
- 4: よんはい
- 5: ごはい
- 6: ろっぱい
- 7: ななはい
- 8: はっぱい
- 9: きゅうはい
- 10: じゅっぱい
- Ask: 何杯 — なんばい
Eight cupfuls can also be はちはい, and ten can also be じっぱい. If you mean two empty cups as objects, カップがふたつあります is useful: “There are two cups.” カップ (かっぷ) means cup.
Count the servings
You drank two cupfuls of coffee. Choose the quantity that counts the servings.
コーヒーを＿飲みました。
Times something happens: 回
回 counts occurrences. 二回 means “twice”: two times an action happened, rather than two objects. 映画 means movie; 見ました means “watched.”
この映画を二回見ました。
I watched this movie twice. この means “this.”
There’s one movie, watched on two occasions. I like this example because English hides the count inside “twice,” while Japanese lets you build the quantity with 回.
- 1: いっかい
- 2: にかい
- 3: さんかい
- 4: よんかい
- 5: ごかい
- 6: ろっかい
- 7: ななかい
- 8: はっかい
- 9: きゅうかい
- 10: じゅっかい
- Ask: 何回 — なんかい
For eight times, はちかい is also used. The list gives one common starting form.
Keep one useful quantity ready
My advice is to take one quantity from your own day and use it in more than one way. If you carry two notebooks, say that they’re there, ask how many there are, or describe buying them. When the number changes, check that counter’s entry and say the new whole phrase aloud.
About the author
B. Rungswell
B. Rungswell is the editor of the Bunpo Check blog and a native English speaker who has passed JLPT N1. Drawing on many years of life in Japan and experience working at Japanese companies, Rungswell writes practical guides to Japanese grammar for English-speaking learners.