Learn how to count things in Japanese, using the special counters for each type of word. And learn how to make delicious apple toast at the same time!
Key Topics Covered
| Content | : | Cooking |
| Grammar | : | Counters の (no) – descriptive, linking a number to a thing (particle) を (o) – object marker (particle) |
Dialogue
Here is a recipe for Shizu’s delicious Apple Toast. Please try it and let us know if you liked it.
りんごのトースト（四人分）
① １こ の りんご を うすく 切ります。
② ４まい の パン を ようい します。
③ りんご を バター で いためます。
④ パン を 1まい トースト します。
⑤ その パン の 上 に、③ の りんご を のせます。
⑥ その 上 に、スプーン１ぱい の れんにゅう を かけます。
⑦ 別 の１まい の パン を トースト します。
⑧ ５番目 の 作り方 から くりかえします。
⑨ あつい カップ を 四つ ようい して おきましょう。Roomaji: Ringo no toosuto (yonin bun)
① Ikko no ringo o usuku kirimasu.
② Yonmai no pan o youishimasu.
③ Ringo o bataa de itamemasu.
④ Pan o ichimai toosutoshimasu.
⑤ Sono pan no ue ni, san no ringo o nosemasu.
⑥ Sono ue ni, supuun ippai no rennyuu o kakemasu.
⑦ Betsu no ichimai no pan o toosutoshimasu.
⑧ Goban me no tsukurikata kara kurikaeshimasu.
⑨ Atsui kappu o yottsu youi shite okimashou.English: Apple toast (four servings / serves four people)
1. Slice an apple.
2. Prepare four slices of bread.
3. Saute the apple with butter.
4. Toast a slice of bread.
5. Put the apple from (step) 3 on the bread.
6. Spread a spoon of condensed milk over it.
7. Toast one more slice of bread.
8. Repeat the method from the fifth (step).
9. You’ll prepare four hot cups.
Vocabulary
| りんご | ringo | apple |
| トースト | toosuto | toast |
| 分 | bun | portion, serving |
| いっこ | ikko | one (small, round thing) |
| 切る | kiru | cut |
| うすく切る | usuku kiru | slice |
| パン | pan | bread |
| ようい する | youi suru | prepare |
| バター | bataa | butter |
| いためる | itameru | saute, fry |
| トーストする | toosuto suru | toast |
| のせる | noseru | put |
| スプーン | supuun | spoon |
| スプーン１っぱい | supuun ippai | a spoon (of) |
| れんにゅう | rennyuu | condensed milk |
| かける | kakeru | spread (over) |
| 別の | betsu no | another |
| 1まい | ichimai | one (flat thing) |
| 5番 目 | go ban me | the fifth (here, step no.5) |
| 作り方 | tsukurikata | method, how to make |
| くりかえす | kurikaesu | repeat |
| あつい | atsui | hot |
| カップ | kappu | cup |
| おきましょう | okimashou | let’s prepare |
Note: Here, the apple is counted as １こ (ikko), but things with 個 (ko) are also counted in another way “一つ、二つ…”. That means, you can use both of them (１こ or 一つ) for round and small things.
Counting Things
In Japanese there are some basic counters, that can be used for counting things in general. There are also some special words for counting different things, such as big animals, birds, flat things or years of age.
The hard thing about Japanese numbers are not the actual numbers, but how they are used to count things. For each thing you count, you have to add a suffix (ending) to the word, describing what type of thing you are counting. Let’s look at some examples.
General Counters
First of all, there is a way to count things in general. This can be used if you do not know the special counter for the type of thing you are counting.
| 一つ | ひとつ | hitotsu | one | 。。。 | 六つ | むっつ | muttsu | six |
| 二つ | ふたつ | futatsu | two | 七つ | ななつ | nanatsu | seven | |
| 三つ | みっつ | mittsu | three | 八つ | やっつ | yattsu | eight | |
| 四つ | とつ | yottsu | four | 九つ | ここのつ | kokonotsu | nine | |
| 五つ | いつつ | itsutsu | five | 十 | とお | too | ten |
Counting people
In some other cases counting things should be done with special words. For instance when counting people. The word for people is hito (ひと / 人). When counting, the same kanji is used, but it is read にん (nin) – except for when saying one and two people.
| 一人 | 。 | ひとり | 。 | hitori | 。 | One person |
| 二人 | ふたり | futari | Two people | |||
| 三人 | さんにん | sannin | Three people | |||
| 四人 | よにん | yonin | Four people | |||
| 五人 | ごにん | gonin | Five people | |||
| 〜人 | 〜にん | 〜nin | x people | |||
| 百人 | ひゃくにん | hyakunin | A hundred people |
Examples
Japanese:
ふたり の がいじん です。さんにん の きょうだい です。
よにん の ともだち です。
わたし は ひとり です。
。 Romaji:
futari no gaijin desu.
sannin no kyoudai desu
yonin no tomodachi desu.
watashi wa hitori desu.English:
(There are) two foreigners.
(There are) three brothers.
(There are) four friends.
I am alone.
Other counters
There are numerous other counters in Japanese. Here are just a few:
| 個 | 〜こ | ~ko | Counting small or round things. | |||
| 度 | 。 | 〜ど | 。 | ~do | 。 | counting occurrences (usually used for just a few times) temperature counter (Celcius) |
| 回 | 〜かい | ~kai | counting occurrences | |||
| 番 | 〜ばん | ~ban | counting order e.g. the 1st (best) singer in japan, nihon no ichiban kashu | |||
| 番目 | 〜ばんめ | ~banme | counting order in a series, e.g. the third car in the train, densha no sanbamme no sharyou | |||
| 才 | 〜さい | ~sai | counting years of age | |||
| 本 | 〜ほん | ~hon | counting long slender objects, e.g. bottles, sticks, pens, flowers. Can also be read -pon or -bon depending on what number it follows. | |||
| 冊 | 〜さつ | ~satsu | counting books and magazines | |||
| 枚 | 〜まい | ~mai | counting flat things e.g. paper, leaves, t-shirts | |||
| 匹 | 〜ひき | ~hiki | counting small animals like dogs and cats. Can also be read -piki or -biki depending on what number it follows. | |||
| 羽 | 〜わ | ~wa | counting birds. |
Examples
Balls, round or small things are counted using the counter こ (ko).
いっこ 。 ikko 。 One (round thing) にこ niko
Two (round things) さんこ
sanko
Three (round things) よんこ
yonko
Four (round things)
Making Sentences
Japanese numbers are usually put in the following places in the sentences. It can be placed before the descriptive particle の (no). The counter can also be placed after the object marker を (o).
[noun] を [counter] [verb]
Examples
Japanese:
四人 の けいさつかん を みました。
けいさつかん を 四人 みました。
いっこ の りんご を たべました。
りんご を いっこ たべました。。 Romaji:
yonin no keisatsukan o mimashita.
keisatsukan o yonin mimashita.
ikko no ringo o tabemashita.
ringo o ikko tabemashita.English:
(I) saw four policemen.
(I) saw four policemen.
(I) ate one apple.
(I) ate one apple.