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How to Use Japanese Counters

You can count on us to make Japanese counters easy! Let's sum of the basics with real-world examples.

By Laura Gonzalez Oct 20, 2023 2 min read

Counting is a fundamental aspect of any language, but when it comes to Japanese, it can be quite complex, to say the least. Japanese employs a system of counters known as josushi (助数詞（じょすうし）), which are used to count different types of objects, people and animals.

Understanding these counters is essential for effective communication in Japanese. In this article, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of counting in Japanese. This is just a basic overview, but if you really want to dive into learning Japanese, consider finding a Japanese language school through GaijinPot Study. You can count on us to guide you!

Japanese Uses Different Counters

In English, we use a single word for counting almost everything—whether it’s one book or person. In contrast, the Japanese language employs a multitude of counters, each with its unique purpose. The choice of a counter depends on the type of object you are counting.

Let’s begin with examples of the most often-used counters with many applications!

Japanese	Romaji	English
カレー一（ひと）つ	Kare-hitotsu	One (bowl of) curry
おもちゃ二（ふた）つ	Omocha futatsu	Two toys
スプーン三（みっ）つ	Supuun mittsu	Three spoons
タピオカ四（よっ）つ	Tapioka yottsu	Four boba (teas)
コーヒー五（いつ）つ	Ko-hi- itsutsu	Five coffees
卵（たまご）六（むっ）つ	Tamago muttsu	Six eggs
みかん七（なな）つ	Mikan nanatsu	Seven mandarins
オレンジ八（やっ）つ	Orenji yattsu	Eight oranges
ラーメン九（ここの）つ	Raamen kokonotsu	Nine ramen
りんご十（とお）	Ringo too	Ten apples

Practical Examples

One of the easiest applications of the above would be when asking for things in supermarkets or restaurants. If we were to make this an equation, it would be something like this:

[Thing] + [Counter] + ください [or] おねがいします.

Japanese	English
スプーン三（みっ）つおねがいします	Three spoons, please.
カレー一（ひと）つください	One curry, please.

Counting Flat Objects

Next, to drive the point home, let’s try another counter. This time, it’s the counter used for flat objects. Things like papers, flyers, etc. This one is a lot easier than the last counter because the counter does not change based on the proceeding number; it will always be 枚（まい）

Japanese	Romaji	English
一枚（いちまい）	Ichimai	One (sheet)
二枚（にまい）	Nimai	Two (sheets)
三枚（さんまい）	Sanmai	Three (sheets)
四枚（よんまい）	Yonmai	Four (sheets)
五枚（ごまい）	Gomai	Five (sheets)
六枚（ろくまい）	Rokumai	Six (sheets)
七枚（ななまい）	Nanamai	Seven (sheets)
八枚（はちまい）	Hachimai	Eight (sheets)
九枚（きゅうまい）	Kyuumai	Nine (sheets)
十枚（じゅうまい）	Juumai	Ten (sheets)

Practical Examples

Below are some examples of using this counter. Here again, we see the formula is the same as with the first counter: [Thing] + [Counter]

Japanese	English
切手（きって）を十枚（じゅうまい）ください	Ten stamps, please
手書（てが）きの履歴書（りれきしょ）を二枚（にまい）持（も）ってきてください	Please bring in two handwritten resumes.

There are hundreds of counters in the Japanese language. Two for today is a good start. With your newfound knowledge, please buy ten apples and two stamps and ask someone to bring you two handwritten resumes!