Explanation
Japanese uses counters: つ (general), 人 (people), 枚 (flat things), 台 (machines), 本 (long things), 冊 (books), 匹 (small animals).
Formation: Put a number before a counter that matches the kind of object: 個 for small round items, 人 for people, 本 for long thin things, 枚 for flat things, 匹 for small animals, 台 for machines, 冊 for books. Some counters use native readings, such as 一つ, 二つ, 三つ.
Usage & nuance: Japanese cannot count most objects with bare numbers; a counter is required. The choice of counter depends on shape and category, so the same number pairs with different words. Listen for sound changes like 一本 (ippon), 三本 (sanbon), and 三匹 (sanbiki), which follow regular phonetic rules.
Compare: 助数詞 vs the generic つ series. 一つ, 二つ work for almost anything but only go up to ten and sound casual, while a specific counter like 三個 or 三人 is precise and preferred for clear, adult speech.
हिंदी में समझें
जापानी में गणक (counters) होते हैं: つ (सामान्य), 人 (लोग), 枚 (चपटी चीज़ें), 台 (मशीनें), 本 (लंबी चीज़ें), 冊 (किताबें), 匹 (छोटे जानवर)।
Examples
- りんごをみっつください。 (Ringo o mittsu kudasai.)
हिंदी: तीन सेब दीजिए।
English: Three apples, please. - がくせいがふたりいます。 (Gakusei ga futari imasu.)
हिंदी: दो छात्र हैं।
English: There are two students. - かみをにまいください。 (Kami o nimai kudasai.)
हिंदी: दो कागज़ दीजिए।
English: Two sheets of paper, please. - りんごを二つください。 (Ringo o futatsu kudasai.)
हिंदी: दो सेब दीजिए।
English: Please give me two apples. - 本を五冊読みました。 (Hon o go-satsu yomimashita.)
हिंदी: पाँच किताबें पढ़ीं।
English: I read five books.
Common mistakes
- がくせい に にん → ふたり (for 2 people) — Irregular readings: 1人=ひとり, 2人=ふたり.
Practice this topic
Test your understanding with 3 questions on Counters — つ, 人, 枚, 台, 本.