Nouns, Numbers & Counters
Japanese Grammar 1
Chapter 3 ยท Nouns, Numbers & Counters
๐ข Nouns, Numbers and Counters โ ใใใใปใใใปใใใใใ
Chapter 1 told you that Japanese nouns have no plural. This chapter shows what Japanese does instead: it counts, and it counts with a small word attached to the number, called a counter. You will learn the numbers up to 10,000, the all-purpose counter ใใค, five everyday counters, and then use the same machinery for money, clock times and dates.
1. No plural, but group endings for people
A bare noun can be singular or plural: ใปใ hon is "a book", "the book" or "books". Only for people and (sometimes) animals there are group endings:
| Ending | Use | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ใใใก | a group of people, the usual plural | ใใฉใใใก ยท ใใใใใใก | kodomo-tachi (children) |
| ใใใก with a pronoun | we, you (plural) | ใใใใใก ยท ใใชใใใก | watashi-tachi, anata-tachi |
| ใใ | slightly rougher or written; they | ใใใ | kare-ra (they, mostly male or mixed) |
| Repeating the noun | "many, various" (a few words only) | ใฒใจใณใจ ยท ใใพใใพ | hitobito, yamayama (people; mountains) |
2. Numbers 0 to 10
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ใผใญ / ใใ zero / rei | ใใก ichi | ใซ ni | ใใ san | ใใ / ใ yon / shi | ใ go |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ใใ roku | ใชใช / ใใก nana / shichi | ใฏใก hachi | ใใ
ใ / ใ kyลซ / ku | ใใ
ใ jลซ |
Four, seven and nine each have two readings. ใใ, ใชใช, ใใ ใ are the safest everywhere; ใ, ใใก, ใ survive in set expressions (ใใใค April, ใใกใ seven o'clock, ใใ nine o'clock).
3. Numbers 11 to 10,000
From 11 the numbers are built like a sum: tens, then units. Nothing to memorise beyond 1-10 and the place words.
| Number | Japanese | Say it | How it is built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | ใใ ใใใก | jลซichi | 10 + 1 |
| 20 | ใซใใ ใ | nijลซ | 2 ร 10 |
| 34 | ใใใใ ใใใ | sanjลซyon | 3 ร 10 + 4 |
| 99 | ใใ ใใใ ใใใ ใ | kyลซjลซkyลซ | 9 ร 10 + 9 |
| 100 | ใฒใใ | hyaku | |
| 1,000 | ใใ | sen | |
| 10,000 | ใใกใพใ | ichiman | one ten-thousand: ใใก is required before ใพใ |
Hundreds and thousands change their sound in three places. Learn these exceptions and the rest are regular:
| Number | Hundreds (็พ) | Thousands (ๅ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใฒใใ hyaku (100) | ใใ sen (1,000) |
| 2 | ใซใฒใใ nihyaku | ใซใใ nisen |
| 3 | ใใใณใใ sanbyaku (b) | ใใใใ sanzen (z) |
| 4 | ใใใฒใใ yonhyaku | ใใใใ yonsen |
| 5 | ใใฒใใ gohyaku | ใใใ gosen |
| 6 | ใใฃใดใใ roppyaku (pp) | ใใใใ rokusen |
| 7 | ใชใชใฒใใ nanahyaku | ใชใชใใ nanasen |
| 8 | ใฏใฃใดใใ happyaku (pp) | ใฏใฃใใ hassen (ss) |
| 9 | ใใ ใใฒใใ kyลซhyaku | ใใ ใใใ kyลซsen |
4. The general counter ใใค
For ordinary objects when you do not know a special counter, use the native series ใฒใจใค, ใตใใค โฆ It counts up to ten; from 11 you use plain numbers (ใใ ใใใก) with no counter.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ใฒใจใค hitotsu | ใตใใค futatsu | ใฟใฃใค mittsu | ใใฃใค yottsu | ใใคใค itsutsu |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | How many? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ใใฃใค muttsu | ใชใชใค nanatsu | ใใฃใค yattsu | ใใใฎใค kokonotsu | ใจใ tล (no ใค) | ใใใค ikutsu |
5. Five everyday counters
A counter is a suffix that tells what kind of thing is counted. Five cover most of daily life:
| Counter | For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ใไบบ -nin (people) | people | students, friends, customers |
| ใๆ -mai | flat, thin things | paper, tickets, shirts, plates, CDs |
| ใๆฌ -hon / -pon / -bon | long, thin things | pens, bottles, trees, umbrellas, rolls (of film) |
| ใๅ -ko | small, roundish things | apples, eggs, sweets, boxes |
| ใๅฐ -dai | machines and vehicles | cars, computers, TVs, bicycles |
People: ใไบบ
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6-9 | How many? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ใฒใจใ hitori | ใตใใ futari | ใใใซใ sannin | ใใซใ yonin | ใใซใ gonin | ใใใซใ, ใชใชใซใ, ใฏใกใซใ, ใใ ใใซใ | ใชใใซใ nannin |
One and two people are irregular (ใฒใจใ, ใตใใ), and four is ใใซใ (not ใใใซใ). From three on it is number + ใซใ.
Flat things, long things, small things, machines
| ใๆ (flat) | ใๆฌ (long) | ใๅ (small) | ใๅฐ (machines) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใกใพใ | ใใฃใฝใ | ใใฃใ | ใใกใ ใ |
| 2 | ใซใพใ | ใซใปใ | ใซใ | ใซใ ใ |
| 3 | ใใใพใ | ใใใผใ | ใใใ | ใใใ ใ |
| 4 | ใใใพใ | ใใใปใ | ใใใ | ใใใ ใ |
| 5 | ใใพใ | ใใปใ | ใใ | ใใ ใ |
| 6 | ใใใพใ | ใใฃใฝใ | ใใฃใ | ใใใ ใ |
| 7 | ใชใชใพใ | ใชใชใปใ | ใชใชใ | ใชใชใ ใ |
| 8 | ใฏใกใพใ | ใฏใฃใฝใ | ใฏใฃใ | ใฏใกใ ใ |
| 9 | ใใ ใใพใ | ใใ ใใปใ | ใใ ใใ | ใใ ใใ ใ |
| 10 | ใใ ใใพใ | ใใ ใฃใฝใ | ใใ ใฃใ | ใใ ใใ ใ |
| How many? | ใชใใพใ | ใชใใผใ | ใชใใ | ใชใใ ใ |
Counters in a sentence
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| noun + particle + quantity + verb | ใใใใ ใฟใฃใค ใใ ใใใ ringo o mittsu kudasai | Three apples, please. |
| noun + ใ + quantity + ใใพใ / ใใใพใ | ใใใใใ ใใใซใ ใใพใใ gakusei ga sannin imasu | There are three students. |
| question | ใใณใฏ ใชใใผใ ใใใพใใใ pen wa nanbon arimasu ka | How many pens are there? |
Notice there is no particle after the quantity (ใฟใฃใค stands alone), and the counted noun still carries its own particle (ใ, ใ, ใฏ).
6. Money, time and dates
Yen: ใๅ
| Price | Japanese | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| ยฅ100 | ใฒใใใใ | hyaku-en |
| ยฅ350 | ใใใณใใใใใ ใใใ | sanbyaku gojลซ-en |
| ยฅ1,000 | ใใใใ | sen-en |
| ยฅ6,800 | ใใใใใฏใฃใดใใใใ | rokusen happyaku-en |
| ยฅ10,000 | ใใกใพใใใ | ichiman-en |
| How much? | ใใใใงใใใ | ikura desu ka |
Clock times: ใๆ and ใๅ
| Hours (ใๆ -ji) | Minutes (ใๅ -fun / -pun) |
|---|---|
| 1 ใใกใ ยท 2 ใซใ ยท 3 ใใใ ยท 4 ใใ ยท 5 ใใ ยท 6 ใใใ ยท 7 ใใกใ ยท 8 ใฏใกใ ยท 9 ใใ ยท 10 ใใ ใใ ยท 11 ใใ ใใใกใ ยท 12 ใใ ใใซใ | 1 ใใฃใทใ ยท 2 ใซใตใ ยท 3 ใใใทใ ยท 4 ใใใทใ ยท 5 ใใตใ ยท 6 ใใฃใทใ ยท 7 ใชใชใตใ ยท 8 ใฏใฃใทใ ยท 9 ใใ ใใตใ ยท 10 ใใ ใฃใทใ ยท half ใฏใ |
Morning is ใใใ gozen and afternoon ใใ gogo, placed before the hour: ใใ ใใใ ใใ ใใใตใ (3:15 p.m.). "What time is it?" is ใชใใใงใใใ
Dates: year, month, day
Dates run from the largest unit to the smallest: year, month, day.
| Months (ใๆ -gatsu) | Day of the month (ใๆฅ) |
|---|---|
| Just number + ใใค: ใใกใใค Jan ยท ใซใใค Feb ยท ใใใใค Mar ยท ใใใค Apr ยท ใใใค May ยท ใใใใค Jun ยท ใใกใใค Jul ยท ใฏใกใใค Aug ยท ใใใค Sep ยท ใใ ใใใค Oct ยท ใใ ใใใกใใค Nov ยท ใใ ใใซใใค Dec | 1-10 and some others are special: 1 ใคใใใก ยท 2 ใตใคใ ยท 3 ใฟใฃใ ยท 4 ใใฃใ ยท 5 ใใคใ ยท 6 ใใใ ยท 7 ใชใฎใ ยท 8 ใใใ ยท 9 ใใใฎใ ยท 10 ใจใใ ยท 14 ใใ ใใใฃใ ยท 20 ใฏใคใ ยท 24 ใซใใ ใใใฃใ. All others: number + ใซใก (11 ใใ ใใใกใซใก, 25 ใซใใ ใใใซใก) |
Years: number + ใญใ: 2026 is ใซใใใซใใ ใใใใญใ nisen nijลซroku-nen. A full date: ใซใใใซใใ ใใใใญใ ใใ ใใใกใใค ใใคใ (5 November 2026).
๐ฃ๏ธ In Use โ ใคใใใใ
Numbers in real situations. Read each aloud.
โ At the cafรฉ
โก What time is it?
โข A birthday
๐ Quick Reference
| Idea | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plural of people | noun + ใใก | ใใฉใใใก |
| Quantity in a sentence | noun + particle + number-counter + verb | ใใณใ ใซใปใ ใใใพใใ |
| General counter | ใฒใจใค โฆ ใจใ; ใใใค | ใใพใใ ใฟใฃใค |
| People | ใฒใจใ, ใตใใ, ใใใซใ โฆ | ใใซใ |
| Big numbers | count in ไธ (10,000) | ใใใพใ |
| Time | ใใ + ใใตใ/ใทใ | ใใ ใฏใ |
| Date | year ยท month ยท day | ใใใค ใใใ |
โ๏ธ Practice โ ใใใใ ใ
Try each one, then click to check.
1. Say "Three apples, please." (use ใใค)
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ใใใใ ใฟใฃใค ใใ ใใใ (ringo o mittsu kudasai)
2. Write 300 yen and 600 yen.
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ใใใณใใใใ and ใใฃใดใใใใ.
3. How do you say "four people"? And "two people"?
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ใใซใ and ใตใใ.
4. Which counter would you use for three umbrellas? Say it.
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ใๆฌ (long, thin things): ใใใผใ.
5. Say "8:30" and "4:00".
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ใฏใกใ ใฏใ and ใใ.
6. Say "4 March" and "20 July".
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ใใใใค ใใฃใ and ใใกใใค ใฏใคใ.
7. Say "10,000 yen" and "30,000 yen".
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ใใกใพใใใ and ใใใพใใใ.
8. Make "children" plural in Japanese. Can you do the same for ใปใ (books)?
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ใใฉใใใก. No: ใใก is for people only; ใปใ stays unchanged.
9. Ask "How many pens are there?"
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ใใณใฏ ใชใใผใ ใใใพใใใ (pen wa nanbon arimasu ka)
10. What is wrong with ใใใใใ ใใใซใใ ใใพใ?
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No particle follows the quantity. Correct: ใใใใใ ใใใซใ ใใพใใ