The English counting system has
historically divided things into groups of 1 dozen, 1/2 dozen,
etc. This doesn't exist with the Japanese counting system where
things are divided into groups of 5 or 10.
The Japanese have divided countable
things into categories by shape, function, etc. Things which aren't
easily categorized are counted using the
native Japanese counting system
.
The tables below are an attempt
to put what I know of this and what I have been able to find on the web
in a single, easily accessible location. The pronunciation of
these numbers has many exceptions. I've labeled these with red
text where I know them.
|
本（ほん） |
Long, cylindrical objects: trees, pens, etc. |
|
枚（まい） |
Flat, thin objects: paper, stamps, dishes, etc. |
|
個（こ） |
Broad category of small and compact objects |
| 杯（はい） | Liquid in cups, glasses, bowls, etc. |
|
冊（さつ） |
Bound objects: books, magazines, etc. |
|
台（だい） |
Vehicles, machines etc. |
|
階（かい） |
The floor of a building |
| 件（けん） | Houses, buildings |
|
足（そく） |
Pairs of footwear: sock, shoes, etc. |
|
通（つう） |
Letters |
|
時間（じかん） |
Hour, as in ニ時間（にじかん）(two hours) |
|
分（ふん） |
Minute, as in 五分（ごふん）(five minutes) |
|
秒（びょう） |
Second, as in 三十秒（さんじゅうびゅう）(thirty seconds) |
| 週間（しゅうかん） | Week, as in 三週間（さんしゅかん）(three weeks) |
|
ヶ月（かげつ） |
Month, as in 二ヶ月（にかげつ）(two months) |
|
年間（ねんかん） |
Year, as in 十年間（じゅうねんかん）(ten years) |
|
日（にち） |
Days of month, as in 八日（ようか）(the eighth day) |
|
泊（はく） |
Nights of a stay as in 一泊（いっぱく） |
|
匹（ひき） |
Insects, fish, small animals: cats, dogs, etc. |
|
頭（とう） |
Large animals: horses, bears, etc. |
|
羽（わ） |
Birds |
|
番（ばん） |
Ordinal numbers, as in 一番（いちばん）(first place, number one) |
| 度（ど） | Class, grade, as in 三等（さんとう）(third place) |
|
歳・才（さい） |
Age, as in 五歳（ごさい）(five years old) |
|
|
|
|
|
Frequency (1 time, 2 times,etc.) |
||
|
回（かい） |
度（ど） |
|
| Times |
Times |
|
| 1 | いっかい | いちど |
| 2 | にかい | にど |
| 3 | さんかい | さんど |
| 4 | よんかい | よんど |
| 5 | ごかい | ごど |
| 6 | ろっかい | ろくど |
| 7 | ななかい（しちかい） | しちど（ななど） |
| 8 | はっかい | はちど |
| 9 | きゅうかい | きゅうど |
| 10 | じゅっかい | じゅうど |
| People | ||
|
人（にん） |
名（めい） |
|
| 1 | ひとり | いちめい |
| 2 | ふたり | にめい |
| 3 | さんにん | さんめい |
| 4 | よにん | よんめい |
| 5 | ごにん | ごめい |
| 6 | ろくにん | ろくめい |
| 7 | しちにん（ななにん） | しちめい（ななめい） |
| 8 | はちにん | はちめい |
| 9 | きゅうにん | きゅうめい |
| 10 | じゅうにん | じゅうめい |
|
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|
Examples of native Japanese number usage. |
|
| 箱を二つ買いました。 はこ を ふたつ かいました。 |
I bought two boxes. |
| 問題が一つあります。 もんだい が ひとつ あります。 |
There is one problem. |