In our main Japanese counters article, you learned what counters are and how to use them. You also learned that around 500 counters exist, though not all of them are in common (or even uncommon) use. We took this list and reduced the number to 350, then categorized them by how useful they are.

Although this Japanese counters list is extremely thorough, you don't have to learn everything here. You can get away with memorizing anywhere between two, nineteen, or sixty-six counters, depending on what your goals are. Here's how we broke things down:

Absolutely Must-Know Counters: 2

Must-Know Counters: 17

Common Counters: 47

Somewhat Common Counters: 205

Rare But Interesting Counters: 22

Gairaigo Counters: 57

One more note is that some of the "counters" in here are actually "units" having to do with time, weight, speed, etc. But, since those units work grammatically the same as counters and mostly follow the same reading rules, we included them on our counters list. Plus, they're all counting something, technically, be it days, hours, minutes, etc.

Prerequisite: You'll want to make sure you know how to read hiragana. If you get to the gairaigo counters, you'll need to know how to read katakana as well. There will also be times we mention the "kango/wago/gairaigo counting method." You can learn all three Japanese numbering systems in our Counting in Japanese article. Knowing the kanji for the numbers will help too. In our example sentences and explanations, we equally use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) and Japanese kanji (一, 二, 三), since both are quite common in Japanese.

around 500 counters exist, though not all of them are in common (or even uncommon) use.

As this is a reference guide, we highly recommend you CTRL/CMD+F to find the counter you're looking for. If we have an individual (and more thorough) separate article for the counter, there will be a link to take you there. We recommend reading those individual counters articles when you can, as they go into much greater detail than we're able to here. In this article, we just give you an overview of each counter without going too deep.

To assist you in your studies more, we've also created a complimentary spreadsheet that contains all of the counters in this article plus how to count with them. To download it, just sign up for our email list. We'll use it to notify you about new Japanese language articles, Japanese resources, article giveaways (such as this one), as well as any sales and new product releases.

2 Absolutely Must-Know Japanese Counters

There are only two absolutely must-know Japanese counters. They are 〜つ and 個 (こ). Why only these two? In a way, they're magical. They can be used to count just about anything. If you are lazy, or if you don't know the correct counter for something, you can just use these and it will (probably) make sense.

The 〜つ Counter

I've listed 〜つ as a counter, but actually it's just the original wago (Japanese) form of counting. If you don't know what wago counting is (it's not ichi, ni, san), check out our How To Count In Japanese guide.

Probably thanks to the fact that this "counter" is just numbers, it can be used to count just about anything in Japanese. Things with shape, things without shape, abstract things, number order, little kids' ages, thoughts, ideas, and pretty much everything else. It's extremely versatile and helpful for when you don't know the specific counter for something.

Counts: just about everything.



ミカンが３つあります。

There are three oranges.



コウちゃんはまだ２つだもんね。

Kō-chan is still two years old, right?



ビール４つと水１つ、それから枝豆５つください。

Can we get four beers, one water, and five edamame, please.



まだ６つしかアイディアを思いついていません。

I only came up with six ideas.

Although the explanation "it can count anything" is pretty right on the money (and self-explanatory), you can read more about the counter 〜つ here.

The 個 (こ) Counter

It's important to compare the counter 個 with 〜つ to understand its limitations.

個 is just the kango, a.k.a. Chinese version of 〜つ. Like 〜つ, you can count almost anything with this counter, though it's slightly less versatile. Think of it this way: if the thing you're counting has a boundary to it, you can use 個. If it doesn't have a distinct boundary, or it's too abstract, it's an age, or it's related to number order, it's more common to use 〜つ.

Counts: pretty much anything with a distinct shape or boundary.



りんごが７個あります。

There are seven apples.



おでこにニキビが３個もできた。

I got three pimples on my forehead.

It's important to compare the counter 個 with 〜つ to understand its limitations (it's only almost as flexible as 〜つ), so I'd recommend you read our article on the counter 個.

17 Must-Know Japanese Counters

Congratulations! You've walked through the "Absolutely Must-Know Counters" group only to find yourself in the very similar "Must-Know Counters" group. We'll be covering seventeen Japanese counters in this section. The first eight follow regular pronunciation rules (本, 枚, 匹, 頭, 羽, 冊, 台, 分, 年 and 回), the other seven (日, 人, 月, 時, 時間, 階, and 歳) don't. For more information on pronunciation rules when counting with counters, look for our table in the big Japanese counters guide.

本 (ほん)

Usually, the 本 counter is taught as the counter for "stick-shaped or long" things. That covers most of its use, but 本 can actually count seven different categories of things, which we broke down in great detail in our 本 counter guide.

Counts: pens, pencils, asparagus, soba, darts, firewood, trees, bamboo, cords, threads, dumplings, water wells, injections, folding fans, eels, tails, nail clippers, icicles, fishing rods, film, chimneys, tenugui, trains, sashes, telephone poles, cylindrical batteries, bottles, tires, ribbons, cacti, soda cans, and much, much more.



ペンを１本貸してくれませんか？

Could you lend me one of your pens?



この袋にはニンジンが６本入っています。

There are six carrots in this bag.



コウイチの竹刀を３本プレゼントします。

We'll give away three of Koichi's bamboo swords.

枚 (まい)

The main thing that 〜枚 does is count flat things. With that, you'll be fine most of the time. This counter counts a really wide variety of things. Like 本, it is quite versatile considering it's a pretty specific counter. We wrote about the four categories of the counter 枚 in our 枚 counter article.

Counts: paper, photos, rafts, bath mats, shells, playing cards, credit cards, t-shirts, pants, other clothes, dust cloths, walls, a single serving of soba, a single serving of gyoza, and much, much more.



１００枚の折り紙が必要です。

I need 100 pieces of origami paper.



トーフグのステッカーを１０枚買った。

I bought ten Tofugu stickers.

匹 (ひき)

The counter 〜匹 is used to count small or medium-sized animals. If you can pick the animal, fish, bird, or insect up, you can probably count it with 匹. For larger animals, 頭 (とう) is the more common counter, though for some reason Godzilla is still counted with 匹. Curious why? Read our article on the Japanese counter 匹 for a much more thorough explanation.

Counts: dogs, cats, monkeys, fish, prawns, shrimps, lobsters, wolves, rabbits (unless they're counted with 羽), mosquitoes, shellfish, deer, worms, caterpillars, silkworms, earthworms, frogs, snails, crabs, tortoises, turtles, octopuses, animals, insects, dragonflies, sea otters, ogres, monsters, naughty children, animal-like people, etc.



犬を１匹と猫を２匹飼っています。

We have one dog and two cats.



この池には３匹のカメがいます。

There are three turtles in this pond.

頭 (とう)

As we mentioned in the 匹 section, 頭 is generally used for large-sized animals. If you can't pick the animal up, chances are you could count it with 頭. That being said, there are some exceptions where 頭 is used for smaller animals, and 匹 gets used for bigger ones (like Godzilla). For more details and information on exceptions, read our article on the 頭 counter.

Counts: cows, horses, livestock, elephants, gorillas, whales, camels, tigers, "professional" animals, insects on display, animals for sale, etc.



クリスマスにサンタクロースから牛を８頭もらった。

Santa gave me eight cows on Christmas Day.



この動物園には、象が２頭います。

In this zoo, there are two elephants.

羽 (わ)

The counter 羽 is used to count birds. 羽 by itself means wings, though you shouldn't use it to count insects. The only weird thing: you can count rabbits with 羽 as well! Learn all about this counter in the in-depth article we wrote about the counter 羽.

Counts: chickens, ostriches, peacocks, penguins, other birds, also rabbits, origami cranes, etc.



庭には２羽ニワトリがいます。

In the yard, there are two chickens.



あそこに鷹が３羽いるのが見えますか？

Can you see three hawks over there?

冊 (さつ)

The counter 冊 is used to count books. From the kanji, you can see it looks just like a book from the side. Don't confuse this with the counter 本 which, ironically, is not used to count books (even though the word 本 means "book"). This is a pretty straightforward counter, but you can still learn more by reading the in-depth article we wrote about it.

Counts: books, book collections, albums, notebooks, memo pads, musical scores, catalogs, magazines, dictionaries, publications, documents, booklets, etc.



コウイチは毎日７冊本を読みます。

Koichi reads seven books every day.



この図書館には、マンガが２５冊あります。

There are twenty-five manga books in this library.

台 (だい)

台 is used to count a variety of fairly unrelated things, making it somewhat less straightforward than your average counter. It is used to count platforms you can stand or put things on, machines, cars, large instruments, and more. Check out our 台 counter article to learn more.

Counts: playground slides, beds, tables, couches, harps, pianos, cellos, cars, trucks, motors, washing machines, dryers, ovens, air conditioners, microwaves, cellular phones, keyboards, and more.



ベンはベンツを９台もっています。

Ben owns nine Mercedes Benz cars.



リビングルームにグランドピアノが１台あります。

There is one grand piano in the living room.

分 (ふん)

分 is technically a unit for minutes, but it looks and smells like a counter (it follows all the same grammatical and reading rules). For each 分 you count, another minute has been counted. To read more about this counter/unit, check out our in-depth article all about 分.

Counts: minutes (time/degree)



ごめん！１分遅刻しそう。

Sorry! I'll be a minute late.



今ちょうど４時４４分になったところです。

It's just turned 4:44 right now.

日 (か/にち)

This is the counter for days. There's nothing particularly complicated about it, but the readings can be tricky because they are a mixture of wago and kango. You can learn all about it in our deep-dive article about the counter 日.

Counts: days, specific days of the month



この記事を読むのに１０日かかった。

It took me ten days to read this article.



来月の３日って何してる？

What are you up to on the third day of next month?

年 (ねん)

１年には３６５日ある。 There are 365 days in a year.

The 年 counter is used to count years (one year, two years, three years, etc.), but it can also be an ordinal number (first, second, third) for someone's grade in school. For example, １年 is grade one, ２年 is grade two, etc. That means the first year of high school/college/university would be １年, and a person who is in their first year is an 一年生 (いちねんせい), or "first-year student." Unlike some of the other time-related Japanese counters, 年 just uses kango for its counting method. We cover all this in-depth in our giant article about the Japanese counter 年.

Counts: years, grades



１年には３６５日ある。

There are 365 days in a year.



今、大学一年生です。

I'm in the first year of university now.

回 (かい)

回 is used to count the number of times something happens, or frequency. It's often translated to "times" because １回 is "one time," １００回 is "one hundred times." This isn't a multiplier, though. If you ate dinner ２回, you just ate dinner twice, you didn't eat twice as much dinner, necessarily. You can read much more about the Japanese counter 回 in our in-depth article.

Counts: the number of times something happens, chances, opportunities, revolutions, etc.



日本には何回行ったことがありますか？

How many times have you been to Japan?



百回以上ありますね。

Over a hundred times, I guess.

人 (り/にん)

The kanji 人 means "person." The counter 人 follows suit by counting numbers of people. Beyond people, it can also count things we treat like people, such as fairies, elves, and even your pets, if you treat them like family. It goes much deeper than that, and you can learn more in the article we wrote about the 人 counter.

It's also important to note that the first two people (一人、二人) get counted using the wago counting method. Three people and up (三人) are just counted in kango.

Counts: humans, people, angels, mermaids, Doraemon, humanoids, pets that are like family, etc.



１人は怖いから嫌だよ！

I don't want to be alone because I'll be scared.



教室には天使が７人座っていた。

There were seven angels sitting in the classroom.

月 (つき/がつ)

月 is a counter used to count the number of months ("10 months" is １０ヶ月) as well as identify the calendar month ("October" is １０月). Depending on what you're counting or how it's used, the way it gets read (つき vs げつ vs がつ) changes, so be aware of that. To read up on this counter, check out our full deep-dive into 月.

Counts: months, calendar months



あと１月でお正月だね。

It will be the New Year in one month.



僕の誕生日は１月１日です。

My birthday is January first.

時 (じ)

Like 分 (minutes), this is not technically a counter, but instead a unit for hours. Usually, 時 is translated to "o'clock" as in "twelve o'clock." There are some pronunciation exceptions you will need to consider too. This "counter" is extremely common and useful, so ideally you'll need to memorize the numbers 1–24 (you know, the number of hours that are in a day). Read all about the Japanese counter 時 in our deep-dive article.

Counts: o'clock



今何時ですか？

What time is it?



３時です。

It is three o'clock.



１４時５６分です。

It's 2:56 p.m.

時間 (じかん)

By itself the word 時間 means "time." As a counter, 時間 will count number of hours, as in "three hours" or "twenty-four hours." You can learn way more about this counter in our in-depth 時間 article.

Counts: hours



トーフグの昼休みは３時間もある。

Tofugu has a three-hour lunch break.



二時間後に会いましょう。

Let's meet up in two hours.

階 (かい)

The 階 counter counts building floors. Which floor would you like to go up to? The 100th floor (１００階) or the 3rd floor (３階)? Or why don't you just forget all that and come on up to ４２階 instead?

Take your knowledge of 階 to the next level (or floor) by reading our in-depth write-up about it.

Counts: a building's floors



私の部屋は１２階にあります。

My room is on the twelfth floor.



この家は３階建てです。

This is a three-story house.

歳 (さい)

The 歳 counter is used to count age. This works for people, animals, and more. Note that there is another (simpler) kanji for the same thing, which is 才. Technically they both make sense, but 歳 is more correct, if you're able to use it.

Counts: age in years



コウイチのお婆ちゃんって今何歳？

How old is Koichi's grandma now?



３６９歳だよ。

She is 369 years old.

47 Common Japanese Counters

This section covers the counters we deemed as quite "common" or "useful." Although they aren't part of the absolutely must-know list, they will enhance the quality of your day-to-day Japanese language life. They are still "common," after all. Some are going to be everyday use, while others are less common but important to know for formal or specific situations. At some point, you'll need to learn all of these if you're serious about becoming fluent in Japanese.

円 (えん)

This is the unit for the Japanese currency, the yen. You'd use this to count an amount of yen.

Counts: yen



１００円しか持っていません。

I only have ¥100.



このジャケット、１万３千９００円だって。

It says this jacket is ¥13,900.

箇月(かげつ)

箇月 is the counter for the number of months. As in, "for three months" or "in three months." More often, you'll see the hiragana か or a small ヵ or ヶ instead of the kanji 箇, which is actually just an archaic version of the counter 個!.

Counts: number of months



日本語を３ヶ月勉強しました。

I studied Japanese for three months.



１か月後にアメリカに帰ります。

I'm going back to America in one month.

箇国 (かこく)

箇国 is used to count the number of individual countries. If you're just generally counting countries, just the counter 国 will be fine. 箇国 emphasizes that they are individual and different. The kanji 箇 is often written with the hiragana か or a small ヵ or ヶ.

Counts: individual countries



今まで１６ヵ国に行ったことがあります。

I've been to sixteen different countries.



先月ここで日米２ヵ国会議が開かれました。

The Japan-US bilateral meeting was held here last month.

箇所 (かしょ)

This counter is used to count places, spots, points, passages, etc. Basically any kind of place. The kanji 箇 is often written with the hiragana か or a small ヵ or ヶ.

Counts: places, spots, points, passages, parts, typos, water supply points, movie theaters, shopping malls, toilets, mosquito bites, scars, broken parts of something, parts that need to be fixed, changed parts, dangerous areas, etc.



ここに１ヶ所スペルミスがあるよ。

There is a typo right here.



４か所も蚊に刺された。

I got four mosquito bites.



この地域にはガソリンスタンドが３箇所あります。

There are three gas stations in this area.

缶 (かん)

This word means can (as in an aluminum can). Its reading is (coincidentally) "kan," and it can be used to count cans. The first two cans can be counted with either wago or kango numbers. "One can" is １缶, read as either いっかん or ひとかん. "Two cans" is ２缶, read as either にかん or ふたかん. From three cans and up you use the kango counting method. When a can is empty—or when it's a garbage can—you'll generally want to use the counter 個 instead of 缶.

Counts: soda cans, beer cans, tuna cans, bean cans, milk cans, spray cans, paint cans, tea leaves in tins, etc.



ツナ缶５缶とコーラ１２缶を買った。

I bought five cans of tuna and twelve cans of cola.



アールグレーを３缶ください。

Can I have three cans of Earl Grey tea?

巻 (かん)

ワンピースを３２巻買い揃えた。 I bought thirty-two volumes of One Piece.

This is used to count volumes of a series of books, videotapes, cassette tapes, etc. It can also be used as an ordinal number suffix to show which item in a series it is. For example, ハリーポッターの１３巻目 is "the thirteenth Harry Potter book in the series."

Counts: volumes of books, cassette tapes, videotapes, DVDs, etc. that are in a series, and scrolls.



ワンピースを３２巻買い揃えた。

I bought thirty-two volumes of One Piece.



ワンピースの３３巻を貸してくれない？

Can you lend me the thirty-third volume of One Piece?

曲 (きょく)

The word 曲 just means song. When used as a counter, it can count the number of songs.

Counts: songs, music



５曲しか歌わなかった。

I only sang five songs.



このリストの２曲目に入っている曲、すごく好きかも。

I think I really like the second song on this list.

切れ (きれ)

切る means "to cut." The counter 切れ is used to count cut/sliced things (especially foods). You'll see this used to count slices of sashimi or filets of meat, for example.

Counts: sliced pieces of fish (including sashimi), slices of meat, mochi (rice cakes), slices of bread, slices of cake, slices of pizza, slices of okonomiyaki, cuts of cheese, etc.



刺し身、３切れしか残ってないの？

Are there only three pieces of sashimi left?



パンと１切れとケーキ２切れじゃ足りないよ。

One piece of bread and two pieces of cake aren't enough for me.

口 (くち)

口 by itself means "mouth." When used as a counter, it counts "bites." This is the main use case for this counter, but there are other meanings as well. Things like a set price of a contribution, submissions to a contest, bank accounts, and a "share" of insurance.

Counts: bites (e.g., "one bite of chicken"), sips (e.g., "one sip of strawberry milk"), swords, suspended temple bells, submissions to win a prize, the set price of a contribution, a set donation amount, shares of insurance



１口飲ませて！

Let me have a sip!



３口しか食べてないのにお腹がいっぱいになってしまった。

I only had three bites but it made me full.

組 (くみ)

The 組 counter is used to count a set, a group, or a pair of something. Quite commonly, you'll see it used to categorize classrooms too. One class will be named ４組 (fourth class group), another ８組 (eighth class group). If you're watching Japanese TV or reading Japanese manga, and someone's going to school, this will surely show up!

Counts: a couple of lovers, a couple of groups, a pair of earrings, a pair of gloves or mittens, a set of playing cards, a set of futon bedding, a set of stacked food boxes, a jacket and pants suit set, as an ordinal number suffix for a classroom number, etc.



この番組からカップルが３組誕生した。

This show created three couples.



２組のコウイチくんって知ってる？

Do you know Koichi-kun from Class 2?

件 (けん)

The word 件 means "a matter" or "a case." As a counter, it counts those "matters" and "cases." The definition is a bit vague, but that's because it covers a lot of categories. Check out the "counts" list for more details.

Counts: proposals, suggestions, legislative bills, agenda items, projects, plans, crimes, incidents, scandals, complaints, objections, contracts, agreements, emails, financing, loans, troubles, bankruptcies, page views, Internet access numbers, voice mail messages, etc.



先週、この町で殺人事件が２件も起きたそうです。

Apparently there were two murders in this town last week.



この記事には１０万件のアクセスがあった。

This article got 100,000 views.

軒 (けん)

The kanji itself means "eaves" (i.e., "eaves of a house"). As a counter it's used to count houses, buildings, shops, restaurants, farms, factories, and so on. It can also be used to count mailing addresses. If, for example, we sent WaniKani stickers to 100 people/addresses, we would say we sent stickers to １００軒.

Counts: houses, shops, restaurants, warehouses, factories, farms, households, recipients, apartment buildings, apartments, hermitages, tenements, etc.



この地域にはカレー屋さんが５軒もある。

There are five curry restaurants in this area.



UFOが墜落して、４軒が全壊した。

A UFO crashed and four houses were completely destroyed.

語 (ご)

This counter is used to count words. For example, if this article has 30,000 words, you could say 30,000語. Alternatively, you can use the gairaigo counter ワード, though I think 語 is more common.

Counts: words



４８０語以上、５００語以内でエッセイを書きなさい。

Write an essay with 480 to 500 words.



新しい単語を２０語覚えました。

I remembered twenty new words.

校 (こう)

校 is used to count the number of schools. It can also be used to count the number of proofreading (校正) corrections.

Counts: schools, elementary schools, pre-schools, junior high schools, secondary schools, private schools, public schools, high schools, colleges, universities, cram schools, proofreading corrections, etc.



３校合同で遠足に行った。

Three schools went on a school trip together.



ここに決める前に、７校の塾に見学に行きました。

Before deciding on this one, I went to see seven other cram schools.

皿 (さら)

皿 means "dish" or "plate," referring to dishes or plates of food. For empty plates, you can still use 皿, but the counter 枚 will be more common for this. If you want to count individual pieces of food on the plate, you'll want to use 品 (しな). You can use 皿 to count laboratory dishes as well (like the ones that grow bacteria). For one and two plates, use the wago reading (ひとさら、ふたさら). Three can be either (みさら or さんさら). From four on up, just use kango.

Counts: plates, dishes, lab dishes, food on a plate/dish, one serving of soba (usually cold), etc.



ボロネーゼパスタを１皿注文した。

I ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese.



皿そば３皿で１人前になります。

Three plates of sara soba noodles is considered to be one portion.

試合 (しあい)

The word 試合 means "game" (generally referring to a sports game). This counter counts these games. You'll especially see this counter used for Japanese sports—foreign sports may use the gairaigo counter ゲーム instead.

Counts: games, matches



マイケルは４試合連続でホームランを打った。

Michael hit home runs in four consecutive games.



２試合目に強豪チームと当たるんです。

We will play against a powerful team in the second game.

品 (しな/ひん)

品 is used to count items, products, or dishes of food. In situations where it's pronounced しな, you'll want to use the wago counting method for one (一品/ひとしな) and two (二品/ふたしな). After that it's all kango. When pronounced as ひん, this counter just uses the kango counting method right from the start.

Counts: dishes of food, a meal's course dish, items, products



前菜は３品ご用意しております。

We prepared three dishes for the appetizer.



フリマで手作りのブローチを３０品出品した。

I displayed thirty handmade brooches at the flea market.

社 (しゃ)

The 社 counter is used to count companies (会社) or temples (神社).

Counts: companies, publishers, newspaper companies, shrines etc.



４社から内定をもらった。

I got a promise of employment from four companies.



１００社以上に電話をかけたが、全部にノーと言われた。

I called over 100 companies, but all of them said "no."

種類(しゅるい)

種類 means "variety," "kind," "type," etc., and the counter version is used to count those "kinds" of things.

Counts: kinds, varieties, types



７種類のスパイスを混ぜました。

I mixed seven different kinds of spices.



人の口臭には約１０種類の臭いがあるらしい。

I read that a human has around ten different kinds of smells for their bad breath.

週 (しゅう)

１週間ずっと風邪で寝込んでいた。 I had a cold and was in bed all week.

週 is used to count weeks. Most of the time, you'll want to add the suffix 間 (かん) which changes "week" to "for __ weeks." For example, ２週間 would mean "for two weeks," and ５週間 would mean "for five weeks."

If you add the ordinal number suffix 目 to 週 it identifies which week you're talking about. ３週目 means "the third week," and １週目 means "the first week." Alternatively, you could add the ordinal number prefix 第 (だい). 第１週 would mean "the first week" as well.

Counts: weeks



１週間ずっと風邪で寝込んでいた。

I had a cold and was in bed all week.



７月の３週目にポートランドに行く予定です。

I'm planning to go to Portland in the third week of July.

周 (しゅう)

周 is used to count rounds. By that I mean circuits around a track, laps, revolutions, etc. Check out 回り/廻り/周り (all まわり) for something similar.

Counts: the number of times you go around something, circuits, rounds, laps, rounds of golf, instances of traveling around something/somewhere, courses, revolutions etc.



公園を１周して帰ろう。

Let's walk around the park and then go home.



４周目でハチに刺された。

On the fourth lap I was stung by a bee.

色 (しょく/いろ)

The kanji/vocabulary of 色 means "color." The counter version just counts number of colors. A rainbow, for example, consists of seven colors. That would be 七色 (なないろ or ななしょく). Although the number of colors in a rainbow can be read two ways, generally when you count colors you'll just use the kango readings: いっしょく, にしょく, さんしょく, etc.

Counts: colors



７色の虹が空にかかっている。

There is a seven-colored rainbow in the sky.



母に１２色入り色鉛筆と４色ボールペンを買ってもらった。

My mom bought me a set of twelve colored pencils and one four-color pen.

席 (せき)

席 means "seat," and the counter version just counts seats. In addition to this, it can be used to count meetings or entertainment performances and rankings in a competition or contest. I've heard people pronounce the first two 席s as ひとせき and ふたせき, but it's more correct to use the kango counting method for all of them.

Counts: seats, parties, banquets, performances, Rakugo performances, drinking parties, meetings, as an ordinal number suffix for ranking in a competition/contest, etc.



空席は残り８席となっております。

There are only eight available seats left.



余興に落語の席を一席設けた。

I put on a Rakugo performance for entertainment.

戦 (せん)

This kanji refers to a war, a battle, or a match. The counter version counts matches, fights, battles, or even sports game matches.

Counts: skirmishes in a war, sports fights, martial arts fights, real fights, matches, video game matches, sports games, games, board game matches, Chess matches, Shōgi matches, etc.



結果は５戦３勝２敗でした。

The result was three wins and two losses in five games.



４戦目でやっとクッパを倒した。

I finally beat Bowser on the fourth try.

足 (そく)

This kanji means foot/leg. As a counter it counts pairs of shoes, slippers, sandals, boots, socks, and so on. Basically things you put on your feet and legs.

Counts: shoes, socks, stockings, slippers, zōri (Japanese sandals), tabi (Japanese socks), geta (wooden Japanese shoes), clogs, roller skates, rollerblades, ice skates, flip flops, boots, rain boots, sheets of dried squid, etc.



靴下３足で５００円だって。

It says three pairs of socks for ¥500.



パンプスは１足も持っていません。

I don't have even one pair of pumps.

束 (たば)

束 means "a bunch," or "a bundle." Use wago for one and two bunches, either kango or wago for three bunches, and kango for four bunches and up. There's also another Japanese counter for bundles, 把 (わ), but that's for smaller bundles that can be held with one hand. The 把 counter is becoming uncommon and archaic, though.

Counts: bundles of asparagus, soba noodles, firewood, scallions, green onions, ropes, konbu, noodles, incense sticks, papers, bills, bouquets, sets of newspapers or origami cranes, etc.



スーパーでアスパラを３束買いました。

I bought three bundles of asparagus at the grocery store.



公園に今日の朝刊１０束が捨てられていた。

There were ten bundles of today's morning paper dumped in the park.

玉 (たま)

玉 means ball, bead, and even testicles. As a counter it's used to count round things, such as tomatoes, peaches, heads of lettuce, cabbage, and of course, testicles. It can also be used to count tangled balls of string, and other "ball-shaped" things, even if they're not ball-shaped when taken apart. For example, a ball of yarn could be counted with 玉. Or even a portion of noodles. Instead of 玉, though, it's probably more common to use the general counter 個. One exception to this is pachinko balls, which are pretty much always counted with 玉, no matter what.

For one or two balls, use the wago counting method (ひとたま, ふたたま). After that, it's all kango all the way.

Counts: ball-shaped things; round fruit such as peaches, melons, watermelons, tomatoes, and persimmons; round vegetables such as onions, cabbage, lettuce, and even Chinese cabbage (despite it not being super round); balls of noodles such as yakisoba, udon, soba, ramen, and konnyaku noodles; balls of yarn, balls of wire, pachinko balls, etc.



今日はトマト１玉２１円ですって。

One tomato is ¥21 today.



アヤのテレビの前には、赤色の毛玉が５玉飾られています。

Five knitted wool balls were displayed in front of Aya's TV.

段 (だん)

This counter can count a variety of things, including stairs, steps, shelves, the number of drawers, layers, floors of a bunk bed, stages of a rocket, ranks in martial arts, paragraphs, and even columns. What do these things have in common? Despite being totally different, they also all have pretty distinct layers/levels to them, and they're organized vertically (for the most part).

Counts: steps of stairs, shelves (when multiple shelves are installed vertically), cake tiers, bunk bed levels, drawers (when multiple drawers are installed vertically), stages such as rocket stages, martial arts ranks, Japanese calligraphy ranks, paragraphs, columns, etc.



階段を２段飛ばしで上った。

I ran up the stairs, two at a time.



２段ベッドの上の段に寝ているのがうちの息子です。

The boy who is sleeping in the top bunk is our son.

着 (ちゃく)

This counter is used to count clothes—one coat, ten skirts, etc. But, it is also the ordinal number suffix for first place, second place, etc., in a race. This is because the word 着く means "to arrive." First place is the first to arrive, right? Anyways, as a regular counter, it's just about clothes.

Counts: clothes or garments such as overcoats, coats, cloaks, kimono, yukata, suits, raincoats, dresses, skirts, jackets, swimsuits, costumes, robes, suits of armor, etc. It's also the ordinal number suffix for first, second, third, etc., place in a race.



コートを４着持っています。

I have four coats.



徒競走で１着になった。

I got first place in the footrace.

通 (つう)

通 can count quite a few things, but they generally fall into the categories "messages" and "official documents." Under messages, you get things like emails, letters, comments, telegrams, faxes, answering machine messages, job applications, and survey responses. Under official documents, you have things like bills, reports, licenses, passports, or bankbooks.

Counts: written postcards, greeting cards, letters, mail, memos, notes, wills, telegrams, fax messages, written contracts, emails, job applications, sealed documents, official papers, bills, witness reports, work invoices, survey answer responses, driver's licenses, passports, bankbooks, school report cards, etc.



未読のメールが１０００通もある。

There are 1,000 unread emails.



トーフグオフィスにコウイチへのラブレターが１通届いた。

A love letter to Koichi arrived at the Tofugu office.

粒 (つぶ)

The 粒 counter is used to count small, round things—usually quite small. Think in terms of little things you can pile up and collect in a jar or other container.

Counts: manila clams, beans, peas, candy drops, umeboshi, teardrops, raindrops, water drops, caviar, fish roe balls, pills, tablets, grains of rice, other grains, raisins, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, grains of sand, rubies, small stones, pebbles, sea salt grains, seeds, almonds, other nuts, etc.



コウイチのデスクの下に小豆が３粒落ちていた。

There were three adzuki beans underneath Koichi's desk.



私にも飴玉１粒ちょうだい。

Give me a candy drop too.

点 (てん)

高級時計５点が盗まれた。 We had 5 high-end watches stolen.

This word means "dot" or "point." As a counter it's used to count items, scores, dots, points, fulcrums, and any kind of artwork including paintings, sculptures, literature, and even films. When counting scores, 点 can be applicable to the score of a sports game as well as your score on a test.

Counts: dots, points, fulcrums; items and products such as accessories, curtains, furniture, vases, pottery, cloth, stuffed animals, and rings; artwork such as carvings, pictures, paintings, drawings, portraits, novels and other literature; test scores, sports game scores, eye drops, etc.



高級時計５点が盗まれた。

We had five high-end watches stolen.



テストの点は９５点でした。

My exam score was nintey-five.

度 (ど/たび)

The 度 counter has eight different use categories, but the most common one is "number of times." It can also be used to count a degree angle, as well as degrees of temperature. Depending on what you use it for, 度 can be read as either ど or たび. The numbering system can either be wago or kango, depending on the number and what you're counting: it's kango for ど and wago for たび, but たび is only used to count up to the number three in modern Japanese.

Counts: the number of times something happens, chances, opportunities, experiences, series of actions, divided actions, degrees, temperature, etc.



１度２人で話をしませんか？

Why don't we set a time for us to talk alone?



熱が３９度ある。

My temperature is thirty-nine degrees.

杯 (はい)

杯 is used to count liquids in cups or bowls. That means you can count things like bowls of soup, mugs of coffee, glasses of juice, measuring spoons of vanilla, measuring cups of chicken broth, and so on. In addition, you can use 杯 to count squid, cuttlefish, crabs, and sometimes octopuses. 杯 can also count ships, battleships, racing yachts, and other boats, but this usage isn't so common.

Counts: bowls of rice, donburi, soba, ramen, udon, stew, curry, ochazuke, and so on; cups/glasses/mugs of milk, water, beer, whiskey, cocktails, juice, tea, coffee, and other drinks; octopuses, squid, crabs, various ships, etc.



ジュースを９杯もおかわりした。

I refilled my juice nine times.



お茶碗１杯のご飯でお腹がいっぱいになった。

I got full from one bowl of rice.

泊 (はく)

泊 is used to count overnight stays or rentals. If you ever stay at a hotel, this will be a useful counter for you to know!

Counts: number of overnight stays, number of overnights, number of overnight rentals



３泊４日で東京旅行に行ってきた。

I went on a three-night and four-day trip to Tokyo.



このホテルは、１泊４９０００円です。

This hotel costs ¥49,000 per night.

箱 (はこ)

This word means "box," and the counter version is used to count boxes. Pretty much any kind is fine. Boxes of diapers, sponge cake, snacks, tea leaves, etc. The only exception to this is small disposable wooden/cardboard boxes filled with sweets, a meal, or bento. These are counted with 折 (おり). When counting with 箱, use wago or kango for one and two. Sometimes use wago for three boxes, but mostly stick with kango. From four and above, use the kango counting method.

Counts: cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, lunchboxes, boxes, boxes, boxes



コストコでオムツを３箱買った。

I bought three boxes of diapers at Costco.



１箱買うと、２箱目が無料になります。

If you buy one box, the second box is free.

発 (はつ)

発 counts bullets, bullet marks, explosives, fireworks, shots fired (including farts), and a lot more. There are even more details to learn in our full article on this counter.

Counts: bullets, bullet marks, explosives, fireworks, shots fired, farts, punches, kicks, bombs, cannons, missiles, rockets, tennis shots, kendo attacks, baseball hits, home runs, sex, jokes, etc.



コウイチにオナラを９発かまされた。

Koichi shot nine farts at me.



ムカついたので、ジャガイモを１発殴ってやった。

I was annoyed, so I punched the potatoes.

番 (ばん)

番 is an ordinal number suffix to show one's order, turn, or rank. If you're number one, you're 一番. It is common for 番 to be combined with another ordinal number suffix, 目 (め): 一番目, 二番目, etc. This shows the "first" and "second" (and so on) of something. The number fourteen bus, for example, would be １４番目.

Counts: turns, orders, rank, numbers, Go/Shōgi/Chess matches, sumo matches, Noh theaters, verses of a song, etc.



マミの成績はいつもクラスで２番です。

Mami always get second place test results in the class.



３番の歌詞がどうしても思い出せない。

I can't remember how the third verse of the song goes.

秒 (びょう)

秒 is a unit of time used for seconds. It also can be used for angles, latitude, and longitude. The reading is all kango.

Counts: seconds as a unit of time, angles, latitude, longitude



ビエトは１９秒息を止めていた。

Viet didn't breathe for nineteen seconds.



こんな問題１秒で解けるよ。

I can solve this problem in one second.

便 (びん)

便 is used to count the number of flights, boats shipping out, long-distance buses, etc. over a period of time. It can also be used as an ordinal number suffix for delivery or transportation. If you're referring to a flight number, for example, you could use this ordinal number suffix.

Counts: flights, ships shipping out, long-distance bus trips, deliveries, instances of transportation, flight numbers, bus numbers, etc.



ここから日本へのフライトは１日１便しかない。

There is only one flight per day from here to Japan.



僕たちが乗る飛行機の便名はAC567便だよ。

The number of our flight is AC567.



もう１便は行ってしまったので、第２便での配達になります。

The first delivery crew left already, so it'll be delivered with the second crew.

袋 (ふくろ)

袋 means bag, sack, or pouch. As a counter it counts those things. For one or two bags, use the wago counting scheme (ひとふくろ, ふたふくろ). After that use kango.

Counts: bags, sacks, pouches, plastic bags, paper bags, shopping bags, garbage bags, etc. These bags can be filled with anything too: candy, snacks, rice, spinach, flowers, whatever.



１人でポテチを２袋も食べちゃった。

I ate two bags of potato chips all by myself.



７袋あれば足りるかなあ。

I wonder if seven bags will be enough?

部屋 (へや)

この家には寝室が３部屋あります。 There are three bedrooms in this house.

部屋 means "room," and as a counter it counts rooms. For example, if you wanted to count the number of bathrooms in your house, you could use this. For one, two, and sometimes three rooms, use the wago counting method. Beyond that use kango.

Counts: all rooms, like back rooms, closets, storage rooms, hotel rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, etc.



この家には寝室が３部屋あります。

There are three bedrooms in this house.



その日は残り２部屋しか空きがありません。

We only have two rooms left on that day.

歩 (ほ)

The kanji 歩 means "walk." As a counter, 歩 counts steps. This can refer to both physical steps while you're walking as well as less physical steps of progress in a project, etc.

Counts: steps taken while walking, steps of progress in your work, steps of progress in your education/learning, etc.



猛暑で、１０歩歩いただけで汗だくになった。

It was so hot that I was drenched in sweat after only ten steps.



もう３歩ほど後ろに下がってもらえますか？

Can you take about three more steps backward?



プロジェクトはようやく一歩前進した。

The project finally moved one step forward.

名 (めい)

名 is a counter for counting people that's more polite than the other person counter, 人. Another difference is that 名 can't be used as an ordinal number suffix like 人 can, so don't try to count the first, second, third (etc.) person. With this one, all you can do is count the number of people.

Counts: number of people



何名様ですか？ かしこまりした。５名様ですね。

For how many people? Understood. Five people, right?



４名で予約をしたいんですが。

I want to make a reservation for four people.

文字 (もじ)

文字 means "letters" or "characters," and it's used to count such things. You might use it to count morae (like syllables) in a haiku, but you wouldn't use it to count words in an article. For that, use the counter 字 instead, which also counts blank spaces. That being said, it's common to just use 文字 for this. Twitter's character count is written as１４０文字 instead of 字, so it's common enough where nobody would notice it's technically incorrect.

Counts: letters, characters, morae in poetry



俳句は五文字、七文字、五文字で書かないといけません。

You need to write haiku with a five-seven-five syllable count.



今の気持ちを三文字で表してください。

Express your current mood with three letters/characters.



ツイッターの文字制限って140字だっけ？

Was Twitter's character limit 140 letters?



400字以内でコウイチへのラブレターを書きなさい。

Write a love letter to Koichi within 400 letters.

問 (もん)

問 is used to count questions or problems in a test, exam, quiz, textbook, etc. It can also be used with the ordinal number prefix 第 to indicate question number. For example, the third question on a quiz would be 第３問. You can do the same thing with the ordinal number suffix 目. The hundredth question would be １００問目.

Counts: questions and problems in a quiz, test, exam, textbook, worksheet, etc.



１０問中９問不正解だった。

I was incorrect on nine out of ten questions.



３問目を間違えた。

I got the third question wrong.

話 (わ)

This kanji means "story" or "talk," and as a counter it's used to count stories. This can apply even to drama episodes on TV, as in "three episodes (stories) of Seinfeld." Add the ordinal number suffix 目 or the ordinal number prefix 第 to indicate which story/episode you're talking about. The third story/episode is 第三話 or 三話目, for example.

Counts: stories, episodes, drama episodes, manga chapters, anime episodes, narratives, myths, folk stories, folk tales, legends, etc.



ドラマを１０話一気にみた。

I watched ten episodes of a drama in one stretch.



このアニメは３話目から面白くなってくるんだよ。

This anime started getting interesting from the third episode.

40 Somewhat-Common Japanese Counters

What follows is a list (and a few examples) of forty somewhat-common Japanese counters. Although you won't come across these counters quite as often as the ones we've written about in detail, most Japanese speakers will know them and know how to use them. Since you'll come across them eventually, it's not a bad idea to learn them ASAP.

案 (あん)

The 案 counter counts plans, ideas, projects, and strategies. While you can also use the 〜つ counter to count these things, you'll probably hear 案 used more often in business situations. Count all 案 numbers with kango.

Counts: plans, ideas, projects, schemes, design ideas, strategies, plots, proposals, suggestions, concepts, bills, program ideas, trap ideas, etc.



新しいトーフグのステッカーのアイディアを１０案提出した。

I submitted ten new Tofugu sticker design ideas.



この２案のプロジェクト案が特に素晴らしいと思います。

I think these two project ideas are especially excellent.

位 (い)

位 is an ordinal number suffix that's used for classes, grades, ranks, decimal places, and orders (as in the result of a competition or race—this is actually its most common use case). You can also append the ordinal number prefix 第 onto it, as long as you note that it won't take the ordinal number suffix 目. Technically, it can also count the souls and ghosts of the deceased, though that's not common at all.

Counts: ranks, classes, grades, orders, decimal places, souls, ghosts, etc.



漢字コンテストで１位になった。

I got first place in the kanji contest.



小数点第一位の数字を答えよ。

Answer to the first decimal place.

院 (いん)

The counter 院 counts organizations or institutions whose names end with 院, including hospitals (病院/びょういん), temples or mosques (寺院/じいん), government houses like 上院/じょういん (Upper House) or 下院/かいん (Lower House), etc. One exception is 美容院 (びよういん), beauty salons. Because they're shops, they're counted with 軒 (けん).

Counts: hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, temples, mosques, government houses, etc.



９院で院内感染が発生している。

The hospital-acquired infection has appeared in nine hospitals.



京都には何院の寺院がありますか？

How many temples are there in Kyoto?

駅 (えき)

The word 駅 means "station," as in a train station. As a counter, it counts train and bus stations. For the first two of either of those, use the wago counting method: 一駅 is ひとえき, 二駅 is ふたえき. After that, use the kango. You can also use the general counter 〜つ to count stations, especially when you're speaking.

Counts: train stations, bus stations



あと３駅で終着駅です。

The terminal station is after three stations.



運動のために、１駅走った。

I ran one station's distance for exercise.

枝 (えだ)

The word 枝 means "branches," and as a counter, it's used to count branches too. It's most often used for branches with flowers, fruit, or elegant leaves on them. For bare branches, you can use the long stick Japanese counter 本 (ほん), and for one and two, count with the wago counting method. For the rest, use kango.

Counts: branches with flowers, fruit, leaves



とても美しい桜の花ですね。１枝分けてもらえませんか？

Such beautiful cherry blossoms. May I take a branch?



２枝に実が成っているね。

There's fruit on the two branches.

園 (えん)

昨年は、３園の動物園が閉園した。 Last year, three zoos were closed.

Institutions that end with 園 or 園地 (えんち), such as zoos (動物園/どうぶつえん), botanical gardens (植物園/しょくぶつえん), theme parks (遊園地/ゆうえんち), gardens (庭園/ていえん), farms (農園/のうえん), orchards (果樹園/かじゅえん), kindergartens (幼稚園/ようちえん), or nursery schools/preschools (保育園/ほいくえん) all use the same counter. You'll see 園 mostly used in writing. When counting schools that use 学園 (がくえん), use either 学園 (がくえん) or 校 (こう) instead of just 園.

Counts: zoos, botanical gardens, theme parks, farms, orchards, kindergartens, nursery schools, preschools, etc.



この区には保育園が７園ある。

There are seven daycare centers in this ward.



昨年は、３園の動物園が閉園した。

Last year, three zoos were closed.

折/折り (おり)

You can count folded items with 折 or 折り; the two versions are interchangeable. It begins with wago: one fold is 一折 (ひとおり), two folds is 二折 (ふたおり), and three folds is 三折 (either みおり or さんおり). After that, it's all kango. 折/折り is also used to count folded boxes that (usually) contain foods or sweets.

Counts: folds, ekiben, bento in folded boxes, folded paper cranes, boxes of cakes, boxes of sweets, etc.



ここをこういう風に２折りしてください。

Please fold here twice like this.



デパートで菓子折りを３折り買ってきてください。

Can you go buy three boxes of sweets at the department store?

音 (おん)

This counter is used to count sounds, such as syllables and/or musical notes.

Counts: syllables, musical notes, musical scales, etc.



まずは平仮名５０音を覚えましょう。

You should memorize the fifty hiragana syllables first.



この飴を舐めると、低い声が３音出なくなる代わりに、高い声が３音出るようになります。

If you suck on this candy, your voice will lose three low notes and gain three high notes.

課 (か)

This counter has two use cases. The first is counting sections of a company or organization, and the second is counting lessons. In Japan, it's not that common—you'll mainly see it in textbooks for Japanese learners.

Counts: company/organization sections, departments, divisions, police divisions, office teams, lessons, etc.



営業部は３課に分かれています。

The sales department is divided into three divisions.



２課の課長、すごくタイプかも。

The chief of Division Two is really my type.

海 (かい)

The 海 kanji means "sea" or "ocean." As a counter, it counts seas, as in "seven seas" (and we don't mean the movie theater in SpongeBob SquarePants).

Counts: seas, oceans



世界の７海の名前を言えますか?

Can you name seven seas in the world?



どうやらこの惑星には全部で１２海の海洋があるようだ。

It seems there are twelve oceans on this planet.

階級 (かいきゅう)

The word 階級 means class, rank, or grade. As a counter, 階級 counts those things, and can also be used as an ordinal number suffix.

Counts: ranks, grades, classes



アメリカ軍には１３階級もあるんですよ。

There are thirteen ranks in the US Army.



コウイチはボクシングの大会で５階級を制覇した。

Koichi won five different weight classes at the boxing tournament.

回線 (かいせん)

The word 回線 means an electrical circuit or phone/Internet lines, as well as their connections. It's also used for counting such things.

Counts: electrical circuits, phone lines, Internet lines, optical communication lines, TV circuits, cable TV circuits, Internet connections, etc.



嵐で、この町の電話回線が４回線壊れた。

Because of the storm, four phone lines got broken in this town.



どうしてネットを２回線も契約してるの？

Why do you have two different Internet contracts?

画 (かく)

The counter 画 is used to count kanji strokes. It can also be used to count divisions of land, lots, blocks, etc.

Counts: kanji strokes, plots of land, divisions of land, blocks of land, etc.



「豆」という漢字の画数は７画です。

The kanji 豆 has seven strokes.



この１画に豆腐屋さんができる予定です。

A tofu shop will be opening on this block.

片 (かけ)

ニンニク２片と生姜２片を入れてください。 Put in two cloves of garlic and two pieces of ginger.

The 片 counter is used to count broken-up, random pieces of something. In cooking, for example, it's common to use 片 to count cloves of garlic or "fingers" of ginger. And, while small pieces of bread would be counted with 片, slices of bread would not. (Keep reading, though…) As with many Japanese counters, use the wago reading for one and two, wago/kango for three, and kango for the rest.

Counts: garlic cloves, "fingers" of ginger, pieces of bread, apple pieces, etc.



ニンニク２片と生姜２片を入れてください。

Put in two cloves of garlic and two pieces of ginger.



白雪姫は、りんごを１片かじると眠り込んでしまった。

After Snow White had a bite of the apple, she fell asleep.

欠片 (かけら)

Like 片, this counter is used to count pieces of something. In this case, however, it's more for random, broken-off pieces. Using the example above, you would use 欠片 to count bread slices. Like 片, count one and two with the wago counting method, three with either wago or kango, and higher with kango only.

Counts: shards of glass, slices of bread, garlic cloves, pieces of ginger, pieces of anything, etc.



１欠片の勇気を振り絞った。

I mustered up a slice of courage.



壊れたガラスを２欠片拾った。

I picked up two shards of broken glass.

籠 (かご)

The word 籠 means basket, and its counter counts baskets and/or piles of whatever is inside a basket (like a basketful of oranges). Use the wago counting method for one, two, and sometimes three; kango for three and higher.

Counts: baskets, baskets of something, bird cages, etc.



みかん１籠２９８円なの？じゃあ、３籠ください。

Is a basket of oranges ¥298? If so, I'd like three baskets, please.



鳥籠を３籠アマゾンで注文した。

I ordered three bird cages from Amazon.

塊 (かたまり)

Have you ever wondered, "What does 'katamari' from Katamari Damacy mean?" You've come to the right place! "Katamari" means "ball," "lump," or "mass," which is exactly what the Prince is rolling up. The kanji 塊 means a lump, ball, or mass of something, and the counter version is used to count those things. Use the wago counting method for one and two lumps, then kango for any above that. (And, since you're curious, "damacy" means "soul" or "spirit.")

Counts: balls, masses, lumps or chunks of meat, clouds, people, dirt, cheese, fish, etc.



突然漁師からマグロ２塊をもらった。

A fisherman suddenly gave me two blocks of tuna.



ここのラーメンには、１塊のチャーシューがのっています。

This shop's ramen comes with a block of chāshū .

河川 (かせん)

Although the word 河川 means "river," and the counter version counts rivers as well, it's a bit formal. For regular or casual situations, it's okay to use 本 to count rivers.

Counts: rivers



台風で２河川が氾濫しそうになっている。

Due to the typhoon, two rivers are getting close to overflowing.



３河川に新たに水位計が設置された。

New water gauges were installed in three rivers.

画素 (がそ)

画素 is a unit for pixels and a counter for them too. You can use the gairaigo counter ピクセル as well, but 画素 is more common in Japanese.

Counts: pixels



この写真は、２００万画素のコンデジで撮ったものです。

I took this photo with a 2,000,000 pixel compact digital camera.



1995年のデジカメは、１画素１万円ぐらいした気がする。

I feel like digital cameras from 1995 cost ¥10,000 per pixel.

方 (かた)

You already know that 人 is used to count people. 方 does too, but in a more polite way: in an office setting, for example. For one, two, and three people, you'll want to attach the prefix 御 (お). For four or more people, you don't need to attach 御. Use wago for one person and two people, kango for three and above. Keep in mind that if you use 方 for four or more people, it will sound strange—for that, it's okay to revert to 人. You can also refer to a group of people of an unknown number using 方—a group of sensei (teachers), for example, could be せんせい方.

Counts: people (formal)



受付にお約束の御２方がお見えです。

There are two people in reception who have an appointment.



後からもう御１方いらっしゃるそうです。

One person will join later.

株 (かぶ)

The 株 counter counts plants with roots, tree stumps, clusters of mushrooms, and shares of stock in a company. Use the wago counting method for one and two, then kango from three on up.

Counts: plants with roots, tree stumps, clusters of mushrooms, seedlings, stocks, stock certificates, etc.



猛暑でキュウリが２株枯れてしまった。

Because of the excessive heat, two of the cucumber plants died.



トーフグの株を３株買いたいんですが。

I want to buy three shares of Tofugu stock.

冠 (かん)

This kanji means "crown," and you use it to count wins or titles. For example, a Triple Crown winner would be a 三冠王 (さんかんおう)—a "three-crown king."

Counts: wins, victories, championships, crowns, etc.



あと１冠で３冠王達成だぞ！

After one more win, we'll be the Triple Crown winner!



あの王様は、王冠を４冠も持っている。

That king possesses four crowns.

貫 (かん)

１貫は３.７５ｋｇです。 One kan is 3.75 kg.

貫 is the Japanese counter for pieces of nigiri sushi. 貫 was originally an old Japanese unit for weight—3.75 kg, about the average weight of a newborn baby—as well as a unit for money: １０００文 was equal to １貫 in the Edo period , and １０銭 equalled １貫 in the Meiji period . Historical dramas and old texts aside, in modern times, you'll see 貫 used for 🍣 .

Counts: sushi, nigiri, archaic units of weight and money



マグロの寿司を３貫ください。

Three pieces of maguro sushi, please.



１貫は３.７５ｋｇです。

One kan is 3.75 kg.

館 (かん)

This counts institutions ending with 館, such as art galleries or art museums (美術館), libraries (図書館), museums (博物館), or aquariums (水族館). You'll especially see it used in writing.

Counts: art galleries, art museums, libraries, museums, aquariums, photo studios, etc.



この村には図書館が１館もない。

There isn't even one library in this village!



４館の美術館が１館に統合された。

Four art museums were integrated into one.

基 (き)

The counter 基 has six usage categories, all of which have to do with counting installed things that are big or hard to move. From torii gates to airplane engines, wind power generators, gondolas, sprinklers, ancient tombs, and a whole lot more. Learn more about this counter in our in-depth article.

Counts: pyramids, ancient tombs, tombstones, gravestones, coffins, moai statues, torii gates, gates, mikoshi, butsudan, pagodas, stupas, buildings of a Buddhist temple, towers, stone lanterns, street lights, traffic lights, lighthouses, benches, sprinklers, playground equipment, public toilets, the remains of a house, oil tanks, gas tanks, turrets, launch pads, pillars, bridge piers, dams, nuclear reactors, wind power generators, airships, airplanes, helicopters, satellites, blimps, jets, hot air balloons, airplane engines, gondolas, chimneys, fireplaces, air conditioners, bridges, kotatsu, fish fins, elevators, escalators, sculptures, etc.



ガスタンク４基が爆発した。

Four gas tanks exploded.



ここでは原発５基が稼働している。

Five nuclear power plants are running here.

機 (き)

機 is generally associated with air transportation and is used to count things like airplanes, helicopters, and even guided missiles. Another similar counter, 台, is more associated with ground transportation.

Counts: airplanes, airships, jets, blimps, hot air balloons, helicopters, guided missiles, airplane crew, etc.



トーフグはジェット機を２機持っている。

Tofugu owns two jets.



コウイチのヘリコプターが１機故障した。

One of Koichi's helicopters got broken.

期 (き)

期 is a fairly formal counter used to enumerate terms and periods. For example, the term length of a US President is four years and up to two terms (２期).

Counts: school terms, terms of office, terms of service, stages, phases, sessions (as in a parliamentary cycle), etc.



アヤはアメリカの大統領を２期務めた。

Aya served two terms as President of the United States.



大抵の日本の学校は３学期制を採用している。

Most Japanese schools use the three-term system.

客 (きゃく)

The counter 客 is used to count things you use only on special occasions—when you have guests (お客様/おきゃくさま) visiting, for example. Think of it like "bringing out the good china for your mother-in-law." Be aware that 客 isn't just used for plates and cups; it can count fancy cushions and any other special items brought out for visitors.

Counts: special bowls, cups, wine glasses, soup bowls, zabuton, any other special items brought out for guests



お客様用のティーカップ５客セットをアマゾンで買った。

I bought a set of five teacups on Amazon for guests.



座布団を４客出しておいて。

Can you put out four zabuton cushions?

脚 (きゃく)

The kanji 脚 means "leg" or "foot." As a counter, one of the things 脚 can be used to count are pieces of furniture with long-ish legs, including chairs, tables, and so on. (Short-legged furniture, like beds or couches, are generally counted using 台.) But, 脚 can count long-legged non-furniture items as well: wine glasses, horseshoes, and… legs. In Japanese, a three-legged race is 二人三脚—literally, "two people three legs."

Counts: chairs, tables, desks, wine glasses, horseshoes, legs, etc.



倉庫にはパイプ椅子が５０脚しまってある。

There are fifty steel chairs in the storehouse.



この公園にはベンチが１脚もない。

There isn't even one bench in this park.

級 (きゅう)

級 can be a counter or an ordinal number suffix. It's used for grades, classes (referring to levels/ranks), or ranks. Ever done any Japanese martial arts with a series of "kyū" ranks? Those are 級s. Similarly, levels of the JLPT test (1–5) are 級s as well. The counter can also be used to count a couple of other (very) random things listed below…

Counts: ranks, grades, classes, stone steps, decapitated heads



JLPT４級に合格しました。

I passed JLPT level 4.



コウイチは１級のバイオリン奏者だ。

Koichi is a first-class violinist.

球 (きゅう)

ピッチャー第１球投げました。 The pitcher threw the first ball.

Besides light bulbs and flower bulbs, 球 is used to count baseball pitches and certain other actions and equipment in ball-oriented games. And while it's used a lot in sports, 球 becomes a little more formal in other contexts. Combining it with the ordinal number prefix 第 or the ordinal number suffix 目 allows you to count the numbers of baseball pitches, as in: "This is the thirtieth pitch he's thrown."

Counts: baseball pitches, light bulbs, flower bulbs, golf balls, soccer balls, tennis balls, tennis shots, ping pong shots, volleyballs, volleyball shots, etc.



ピッチャー第１球投げました。

The pitcher threw the first ball.



毎朝テニスコートで５０球打ち込んでから仕事に行きます。

I go to work after smacking fifty shots at the tennis court every morning.

行 (ぎょう)

The word 行 refers to a line of writing or a verse in a poem. As a counter, it counts them as well. Easy!

Counts: lines of writing, lines in a notebook, lines of a manuscript, verses of a poem, etc.



感想を４行でまとめなさい。

Sum up your review in four lines.



１２行の詩を書いた。

I wrote a poem with twelve verses.

局 (きょく)

The Japanese counter 局 is used to count matches of certain games: shōgi (Japanese chess), go, or sugoroku, which is similar to backgammon. Additionally, 局 can count broadcast stations and post offices.

Counts: shōgi, go, and sugoroku matches, broadcasting stations, post offices, etc.



将棋で１局勝負をした。

We had one shōgi match.



日本には何局郵便局がありますか？

How many post offices are there in Japan?

斤 (きん)

Long ago, 斤 was a unit of measurement that equaled 600 grams. Later, in the Meiji period , that unit became 454 grams, which happens to be one pound. Loaves of bread at the time weighed about 454 grams, although Japanese bread now tends to weigh about 300 grams. Even though the Japanese version has been losing weight, 斤 can be used for counting it and other loaves of bread.

Counts: loaves of (regular) bread



パン屋さんで食パン１斤買ってきて。

Can you go get a loaf of bread at the bakery?



冷凍庫にライ麦食パンが２斤入っています。

There are two loaves of rye bread in the freezer.

金 (きん)

結婚指輪は２４金です。 The wedding ring is 24k gold.

The 金 counter means karat, i.e., the measure of the purity of gold. Eighteen karats—or 18K, as written in English—would be １８金 in Japanese. Don't confuse this counter with the similar word, 金 (also きん), which means "gold," or お金 (おかね), which means "money."

Counts: karats of gold



これはジャマルのお気に入りの１８金のネックレスです。

This is the eighteen-karat gold necklace that Jamal really likes.



結婚指輪は２４金です。

The wedding ring is twenty-four-karat gold.

句 (く)

This counter is used for counting haiku, phrases, expressions, or passages of writing.

Counts: haiku, expressions, passages of writing, words, phrases, etc.



トーフグメンバーがそれぞれ俳句を１句詠みます。

Tofugu members will make one haiku each.



面白い日本語の語句を１０句リストアップしてください。

Please list ten interesting Japanese words or phrases.

区 (く)

If you've ever seen a Japanese address written out, there's a good chance it had a 区 somewhere in it. That's because as a word, 区 means ward, zone, or constituency. 区 can also refer to a segment of a race, which, if you think about it, is actually a "zone" of a race. When used as a counter, 区 counts all those things.

Counts: plots of land, wards, zones, constituencies, segments of a race



東京には２３区の区があります。

There are twenty-three wards in Tokyo.



駅伝で第２区のランナーに選ばれました。

I was picked as the second runner for an ekiden road relay.

区画 (くかく)

Similar to 区, the word 区画 refers to a division, plot or lot of land, or a block. As a counter, it also counts those things.

Counts: plots of land, divisions of land, a block, etc.



出店料は1区画当たり1500円です。

The fee for the food stand is ¥1,500 per lot.



トーフグのオフィスを建てるために３区画を買いました。

We bought three plots of land to build the Tofugu office.

串 (くし)

As a word, 串 means "skewer," and as a counter it counts food that comes on skewers. Use the wago readings for one and two skewers, kango or wago for three, and straight kango for all the rest. (When there's no food skewered on them, skewers are normally counted with the long-and-skinny-thing Japanese counter 本.)

Counts: skewered foods, skewered meats, skewered vegetables, any kind of food on skewers



ネギマ５串ください。

Can I get five chicken and scallion skewers?



このみたらし団子、４串で４７２kcalだって。

This mitarashi dango is 472 kcal for four skewers.

癖 (くせ)

The word 癖 means "habit" or "peculiarity," and you can count those kinds of things using it as well. Generally you'll see 癖 used idiomatically. Use wago readings for one and two, kango or wago for three, and straight kango for the rest, except in the case of certain idioms. You'll see a few in the examples below.

Counts: habits, peculiarities, one's ways



あのお客さん、１癖あって苦手なんだ。

That customer has some kind of peculiarity, and I'm not a big fan.



コウイチは１癖も２癖もある。

Koichi is a very difficult person to deal with.



「なくて７癖、あって４８癖」という諺がある。

There is a saying that goes, "Everyone has at minimum seven—and at most forty-eight—peculiarities."



「人に７癖、我が身に８癖」という諺もありますよ。

There is also a saying that goes, "If you think someone has seven peculiarities, you should think you have eight." (Everyone has their peculiarities, and you are not the exception.)

軍 (ぐん)

<! Inline 1: two little plastic green army men>

The kanji 軍 refers to army troops. As a counter, 軍 used to count them too, though in recent years it has expanded to include other similar kinds of groups. For example, 軍 is used as an ordinal number suffix to refer to levels in organized sports: a varsity team would be 一軍, while a junior varsity or a "farm" team would be 二軍. It makes sense if you think about it, since sports teams have a lot of similarities to military troops.

Counts: army groups, groups of troops, sports team levels, baseball team levels, etc.

敵国の３軍がこちらへ向かっているそうだ。

I hear three enemy army troops are headed our way.

２軍から１軍に昇進した。

I was promoted from the farm team to the main team.

景 (けい)

景 is used to count scenic views described in writing, as well as scenes in a play. For example, "Act II, Scene III" would be 第二幕第三景. These days, however, using 景 to count scenes is really only used in traditional Japanese performances such as kabuki and noh—for modern plays, use 場.

Counts: views, scenic views, scenery, scenes in a kabuki/noh/opera

日本３景といえばどことどことどこですか？

Where are the three best views in Japan?

世界のロマンチックな景色１００景を集めた写真集を出版した。

I published a photo book of a hundred romantic scenic views of the world.

桁 (けた)

The word 桁 refers to a digit or decimal place in a number, as in "the third decimal place of pi."

Counts: digits, decimal places

円周率、３６桁まで言えるんだ。

I can list pi up to thirty-six decimal places!

ジャマールの貯金は６桁あるらしいぜ。

Apparently, Jamal's savings is in the six digits.

鍵 (けん)

<! Inline 2: a computer keyboard>

鍵 is used to count keys on a keyboard, whether a computer's or a musical instrument's.⌨️ 🎹

Counts: keyboard keys, piano keys, keytar keys, computer keys keyboard, etc.

このピアノ、３鍵壊れてるんだよね。

This piano has three broken keys.

パソコンのキーボードのキーを６鍵取り外して掃除した。

I took six keys off of my computer keyboard and cleaned them.

限 (げん)

３限目が休講になった。 My third period class was canceled.

限 is used as an ordinal number suffix to count college and university periods. If you're attending (or planning to attend) school in Japan, you'll hear this one a lot. (For counting middle or high school periods, use 時間 instead.)

限 can be combined with another ordinal number suffix, 目, to say things like 1限目 ("the first period"), 2限目 ("the second period"), and so on. (For middle and high school, you can also use the counter 時限/じげん alone or with 目 here to make 1時限目, 2時限目, …)

Counts: college class periods, university class periods

月曜日は１限しか授業がありません。

I only have first period on Mondays.

３限目が休講になった。

My third period class was canceled.

戸 (こ)

The word 戸 means "door." What has doors? Buildings! This counter is used to count residential houses or apartment units. If you're counting buildings in general, regardless of whether or not they're home to the people inside, use the counter 軒 (けん) instead.

Counts: houses, homes, houses for sale, houses for rent, houses to be constructed, apartment units, etc.

新築マンションが１２戸売りに出されている。

Twelve new apartment units are for sale.

強風に煽られ、１０戸が延焼した。

Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread to ten other houses.

行 (こう)

<! Inline 3: a sign that says "The Tofugu Group">

行 is used to count banks (銀行/ぎんこう) as institutions. To count branches of a single bank, use 店 (てん) or 店舗 (てんぽ) instead.

行 also counts other things. For example, 一行 used to refer to a group of twenty soldiers, and while this usage isn't as common as it used to be, you'll still hear it used when counting groups or parties of people. 観光客一行 (かんこうきゃくいっこう), for example, is used to count parties of tourists.

Similarly, you may see hotels and ryokan with welcome signs that make use of 行 to indicate groups of people—something like トーフグ御一行様 (とーふぐごいっこうさま): "The Tofugu Group."

Counts: banks, groups of people, parties of people

その年は、５行の銀行が倒産した。

That year five banks went bankrupt.

トーフグ御１行様がご到着です。

The Tofugu party has arrived.

項 (こう)

The counter 項 is used to count the clauses in an article or legal document. It can be combined with the ordinal number prefix 第 to indicate 第一項 ("the first clause"), 第二項 ("the second clause"), and so on, or the ordinal number suffix 目 to say the same things. 項 can also be used to count terms in a mathematical equation.

Counts: clauses of an article, clauses of a legal document, articles of a constitution, articles of a legal document, sections of a chapter, paragraphs of a chapter, terms of a math equation, etc.

この約款には１２８項もの条項が書かれていた。

This article had a hundred and twenty-eight clauses.

今日学校で２項定理を習った。

I learned the binomial theorem at school today.

号 (ごう)

号 is an ordinal number suffix used for room numbers, train numbers, magazine volume numbers, and many other ordinal numbers. Inexplicably, it's also a unit for canvas sizes.

Counts: room numbers, train numbers, magazine volume numbers, magazine issue numbers, home run numbers, canvas sizes, etc.

新幹線のひかり４９３号に乗りました。

I rode on the Shinkansen Hikari 493.

私の好きなキャラは、鉄人２８号です。

The character I like is Iron Man No. 28.

合 (ごう)

<! Inline 4: a rice cooker>

As a unit of measurement, 合 is equal to about 0.18 liters, or about 1/10th of a 升 (しょう), and you can use it to count cups of rice. When a rice cooker or recipe calls for "a cup of rice," it might be asking for one of these instead of a standard "cup." 合 is also used for counting the stages of a mountain trail: the first stage, or first 1/10th of the path, would be １合. You can count other things using 合, but these are the most common.

Counts: 0.18 liter "cups" of rice, 1/10th stages of a hiking trail

毎朝ご飯を３合炊きます。

We cook three cups of rice every morning.

富士山の５合目までは車で登れます。

You can climb to the halfway point of Mt. Fuji trail by car.

声 (こえ/せい)

The word 声 means "voice." As a counter, 声 is used to count the number of times you "have a word with someone," as well as the number of times someone or something cries or calls out. This counter uses the wago counting scheme for one and two, but three and above are rare, so focus on ひとこえ and ふたこえ. 声 is part of an idiom worth learning too: もう一声, which means "a little more of a discount." It's handy when you want to barter!

声 (せい) is also used to count the number of sounds, noises, or words that come out of something—usually a mouth. The せい version is counted with kango.

Counts: utterances, having a word with someone, crying out, calling out, sounds, noises, words, etc.

１声かけてくれれば良かったのに。

You should have said something to me.

お兄ちゃん、もう１声か２声安くしてよ。

Can you give me a little more of a discount, mister?

久しぶりにあったのに第一声がそれかよ。

We haven't seen each other in so long and the first thing you say is that?!

遠くの方から、汽車の汽笛が一声聞こえてきた。

I could hear the lone whistle of a locomotive from far away.

国 (こく)

<! Inline 5: an outline of Australia>

A holdover from classical Japanese, 国 is used for counting countries. It's mostly used in older titles and for idioms. You may also see 箇国 or ヶ国, which are used when the speaker or writer is emphasizing a single country.

Counts: countries

三国協定が結ばれたのはいつですか？

When was the Triple Entente concluded?

人に使われる人間ではなく、一国一城の主になりたいんです。

Rather than being used by someone, I'd like to be the king of my own castle.

言 (こと)

私はいつも１言多い。 I'm always saying one word too many.

The kanji 言 means "say," and as a counter it's used to count words you say or write. For one or two words, use the wago counting method. For three, either is fine. Four and above should be kango. Most of the time you won't hear more than 一言 or 二言, though.

Counts: words you say, greeting words, instruction words, messages of condolences, memorial words, oaths, notes, short messages, postscripts, catchphrases, mottos, etc.

私はいつも１言多い。

I'm always saying one word too many.

コウイチは２言目には「気合いだ！」と言う。

Every other sentence Koichi says is, "Psych yourself up!"

齣 (こま)

The 齣 counter is usually written in katakana as コマ, and it's used for counting the scenes in a play or movie. It's also used to count the number of classes, lessons, or lectures you have in college or university. Use wago for one and two, kango for three and above.

Counts: scenes of a play/movie/drama, classes, lessons, lectures, etc.

明日は３コマ講義をしなくてはいけないから、準備で忙しい。

I have to do three lectures tomorrow, so I'm busy with my prep.

１齣のドラマの撮影に３時間もかかった。

It took three hours just to shoot one scene of the drama.

作 (さく)

<! Inline 6: a book>

This Japanese counter is used to count works of art (作品/さくひん), which extends to film and literature. To specify if it's the first, second, etc. work, just add the ordinal number prefix 第 or the ordinal number suffix 目. (You can also use the word 作品 to count artworks as well.)

Counts: works of art, novels, movies, films, etc.

今までに仕上げた作品は３作です。

So far, I've made three works of art.

第一作目からベストセラーになるなんて、すごいですね。

It's amazing that your first work became a bestseller.

柵/冊 (さく)

Strips of fish ready to be sliced into sashimi or sushi are counted using this counter. The same goes for the strips of fish, on display at restaurants, that haven't yet been sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Young people have started using 柵 to count blocks of seats in stadiums and concert halls. In this context, 柵 usually indicates the seats closest to the stage or field where, back in the day, there was once a fence or divider. (柵 means "fence.")

While both the kanji 柵 or 冊 can be used, 柵 is technically more correct. Writing さく in hiragana is common too—just make sure to use the wago counting method for one and two and kango for three or more.

Counts: strips or blocks of fish, rows of a stadium, rows of a concert hall, rows of an auditorium, etc.

今日は鯛が１柵も無いんですよ。

We don't have any blocks of sea bream today.

2柵目の席をゲットした。

I got a seat in the second row from the front!

刺し (さし)

刺す means "to stab" or "to thrust." The counter version counts stabs—whether whatever is getting stabbed is being stung by bees, pierced with spears, or happens to be bites of food spiked onto skewers. 🍢

Counts: stabs, stings, thrusts, pierces, pricks, bites, something(s) on a skewer

その海賊は、悪魔を１刺しで死に追いやった。

That pirate put the demon down with a single thrust.

目刺しを３刺し食べました。

I ate three sardine skewers.

匙 (さじ)

<! Inline 7: a spoon>

匙 means "spoon," and the counter version is used to count the amount a spoon will hold. 大匙 (おおさじ)—literally "big spoon"—is a tablespoon. 小匙 (こさじ)—"little spoon"—is a teaspoon. Be careful, though: like "cups" (合), the amount a spoon can hold may vary from county to country. Use wago for counting one and two, either wago or kango for three, and kango for four and above.

(Also, be aware that although 匙 is still in use, the counter 杯 (はい) is more commonly used for spoonfuls these days.)

Counts: spoonfuls

砂糖は１匙でいいですか？

Is just one spoonful of sugar okay?

今日の離乳食のメニューは、お粥３匙、にんじん２匙、かぼちゃ１匙としらす１匙です。

Today's baby food menu is three spoons of rice porridge, two spoons of carrot puree, one spoon of squash puree, and one spoon of sardine paste.

莢 (さや)

The word 莢 means "pod," "hull," or "the shell of a pea." The counter version counts them all. While it's more common to use the general counter 〜つ or 個, you'll still see 莢 used. When counting with 莢, use wago for one and two, kango or wago for three, and kango for four and above.

Counts: pea shells, pea pods, pea hulls, peanuts with shells, shelled foods, etc.

ビエトはビールのおつまみに、枝豆を１６７莢も食べた。

Viet ate a hundred and sixty-seven edamame with his beer!

今日はインゲン４０莢とオクラ４莢を収穫しました。

I harvested forty green beans and four okra today.

紙 (し)

The kanji 紙 means "paper," and its counter version is used to count newspapers and other things like paper that come in flat sheets 枚 (まい).

Counts: newspapers

トーフグは新聞を３紙購読している。

Tofugu subscribes to three newspapers.

スポーツ新聞５紙をコンビニでゲットした。

I got five sports newspapers at a convenience store.

歯 (し)

<! Inline 8: a tooth>

The kanji 歯 means "tooth," and this counter is used to count teeth. In day-to-day life, it's more common to count teeth using the counter 本, but if you're visiting the dentist, she might prefer the official tooth-counter 歯!

Counts: teeth

あの患者さんは、交通事故で４歯を欠損しているんですよ。

That patient lost four teeth in a car accident.

インプラント費用は１歯につき３２万円です。

Implants cost ¥320,000 per tooth.

誌 (し)

This Japanese counter is used to count magazines (雑誌/ざっし) or tabloids.

Counts: magazines, tabloids

この歯医者には、いつも週刊誌が４誌置いてある。

This dentist always carries four different weekly magazines.

今年、その出版社からは二誌が発売される。

Two magazines will be released by the publisher this year.

字 (じ)

The word 字 means "letter" or "character" (of a language). As a counter, it counts the same things.

Counts: letters, characters

４００字詰め原稿用紙を１００枚買ってきて！

Can you go buy a hundred sheets of four-hundred-character manuscript paper?

５０字以内で理由を述べよ。

State your reason in fifty characters or less.

次 (じ)

１次試験に合格した。 I passed the first of the exams.

An ordinal number suffix usually combined with the ordinal number prefix 第 (だい), 次 expresses the order of events. For example, 第一次世界大戦 (だいいちじせかいたいせん) is the First World War, and 第二次世界大戦 (だいにじせかいたいせん) is the Second World War. For anything that has a specific sequence, 次 indicates where in that sequence it happened. This includes events, affairs, occurrences, and incidents.

Counts: order of events, order of affairs, order of occurrences, order of incidents, etc.

これは第２次世界大戦の時の写真です。

These are photos from World War II.

１次試験に合格した。

I passed the first of the exams.

児 (じ)

<! Inline 9: a little kid>

The counter 児 is used to count children in relation to their parents, which means something like 三児の母 (さんじのはは), "a mother of three children." And although the person using the counter doesn't have to be a parent, they do have to be someone's child.

Counts: children, kids

これでも一応２児の母なんで。

I may not look like it, but I'm a mother of two.

ワニカニって、３児のシングルファザーだったんですね。

WaniKani was a single father of three, huh?

軸 (じく)

As a word, 軸 means "axis" or "axle." As a counter, it's used for counting scrolls, rolls, and yarn balls—in other words, things that unwind from a central axis. 軸 can also be used to count the favored horse to win a horse race, probably because horses run in a loop around a central axis. When counting with 軸, one and two are read with wago and the rest with kango.

Counts: scrolls, rolled sheets, hanging scrolls, yarn rolls, axis, the favorite horse

トーフグの掛け軸を２軸作ってみました。

I made two Tofugu hanging scrolls.

この３軸で勝負しようと思ってるんだ。

I'm thinking of betting on these three favorite horses.

次元 (じげん)

<! Inline 10: an anime girl>

This counter counts dimensions: 2D, 3D, 4D, etc. In this context, you'll use the kango counting scheme. 次元 can also be used to count different "levels" of a person, as in "I'm an entire level above you." When used this way, employ the wago readings for one and two, kango for the rest.

Counts: dimensions, levels of a person

２次元の女の子しか好きになれないんです。

I can only get myself to like 2D girls (anime/manga girls).

３次元の人には興味ないんです。

I have no interest in 3D people (real people).

コウイチ先輩は、一次元上の存在って感じがする。

It feels like Koichi-senpai is a level above us.

室 (しつ)

This kanji means "room," and is used to count them as well. Simple!

Counts: rooms

ダブルベッドの部屋を３室予約したいんですが。

I'd like to book three double-bed rooms.

トーフグのオフィスには、VIPルームが１室ある。

There is one VIP room in the Tofugu office.

者 (しゃ)

The kanji 者 means "someone." As a counter, it's used to count the number of people involved or concerned with something. Its use is objective and official: a parent-teacher-student conference is 三者面談 (さんしゃめんだん). For example: a system of three-way communication is 三者間伝達のシステム. It's also used to count the batters or base-runners in a baseball game.

Counts: people concerned, people involved, baserunners, batters, etc.

明日は社長との２者面談があります。

I have a one-on-one meeting with the president tomorrow.

この回は、３者凡退に終わった。

This inning, the batters went down one-two-three.

種 (しゅ)

The word 種 refers to a "type," "kind," or "variety" of something, and counts those things as well.

Counts: type, kind, variety

５種のチーズの盛り合わせを頼んだよ。

I ordered a five-cheese plate.

ステッカー３種セットで５ドルです。

It's $5 for a three-sticker set.

種目(しゅもく)

<! Inline 11: a pommel horse>

The word 種目 both means and counts events during sporting competitions. In gymnastics, for example, each category that uses an apparatus such as a pommel horse, rings, etc., would count as １種目.

Counts: sports competition events, apparatus rotations (gymnastics), categorized lines (insurance), lines, items, descriptions, etc.

スポーツ競技会で、５種目の競技に出場した。

In the sports competition, I participated in five different events.

２種目とも自己ベストが出て嬉しい。

I'm happy I got personal bests at both events.

重 (じゅう)

重 is used to count things that overlap with one another, including overlapped layers and repetitive actions. It's usually translated as "double-," "triple-," etc. For example: 二重生活 is a "double life," 二重顎 is a "double chin," and 二重国籍 is "dual citizenship." To count layers that don't overlap, we usually use the counter 層 (そう).

Counts: overlapping things, jubako (stacking) boxes, overlapping layers, repetitive actions, multistoried pagodas, lines, meanings, life, lock, wrapping, payment, eye vision, chin, nationalities, checks (as in double-check), etc.

一緒に5重の塔を見に行きませんか？

Do you wanna go see the five-story pagoda with me?

見て！2重の虹が出てる。

Look! There's a double rainbow.

周年 (しゅうねん)

周年 is used to count the number of years that have passed since a certain date. We call them anniversaries!

Counts: yearly anniversaries

今年で100周年です。

This year is the one-hundredth anniversary.

1周年おめでとうございます!

Congratulations on your first anniversary!

巡 (じゅん)

<! Inline 12: a circular track>

The counter 巡 is used to count rounds, which includes physical rounds such as walking, running, or touring in a loop around a location, as well as sequential order, such as a team's batting order in a baseball game.

Counts: rounds, loops, tours, cycles, laps, revolutions, rounds of order

ポートランドを一巡した。

I took a circular tour of Portland.

公園を三巡したが、ポチは見つからなかった。

We did three laps around the park, but we couldn't find Pochi.

もうすぐ打順が一巡する。

They will bat in the first inning soon.

女 (じょ)

1男2女を授かった。 We had one boy and two girls.

Although the kanji means "woman," when used as a counter, 女 counts daughters. It's read entirely with kango, except for two, which is read じ.

女 can also be an ordinal number suffix, in which case "one" is replaced with 長 (ちょう) to make 長女 (ちょうじょ) and indicate "first daughter." Similarly, "two" is replaced with 次 (じ) to make 次女 (じじょ) and indicate "second daughter." The rest stay as they are.

Counts: daughters

1男2女を授かった。

We had one boy and two girls.

長女は12歳、次女は10歳です。

Our first daughter is twelve years old, and our second is ten.

升 (しょう)

升 is an old Japanese unit of measurement for 枡 (ます), which refers to a cube-shaped box used for measuring rice, drinking sake, etc.

A 升 indicates 1.8 liters, which is ten times more than 1合 (ごう). 1合 of rice becomes two bowls of cooked rice. If you cooked 1升 of rice, that would be a lot of rice—twenty servings, more or less! Thus 升 is what is now called "party size." The same goes for sake: those little tokkuri bottles usually hold one or two 合, while a 1升 bottle is huge—1.8L! These 1升 measurements can be counted using 一升升 or 一升枡 (いっしょうます).

Counts: mochi, sake bottles, rice, sake, shochu, etc.

1升瓶を2本も飲んだの!?

Did you drink two one-shō bottles of sake!?

米を3升炊いた。

I cooked three shō of rice.

床 (しょう)

床 is used to count beds or cots in hospitals. It's also used for the fake gums in false teeth, so if you're back at the dentist again and want to purchase a set, the cost may be listed per 一床!

Counts: hospital beds, clinic beds, cots, rafts, false teeth

この病院には今3床しか空きがありません。

This hospital has only three available beds at the moment.

この機械を使えば、ベッド1床が2—3秒で出来上がります。

Using this machine, one bed can be created in just two to three seconds.

城 (じょう)

<! Inline 13: a castle>

This kanji means "castle," and it’s used for counting castles and palaces.

Counts: castles, palaces

この国にある1029城は、全てトーフグのものだ。

All 1,029 castles in this country are Tofugu's.

私もその2城に行ったことがあります。

I've been to those two castles before too.

畳 (じょう)

This kanji means "tatami." It’s used to count tatami mats.

Counts: tatami, tatami mats

この部屋の広さって、10畳ぐらいですか？

The size of this room is… what, about ten tatami mats?

2畳半の部屋でメガネ失くしたんだけど天才かな？

I managed to lose my glasses in a two-and-a-half tatami room. Am I genius or what?

錠 (じょう)

<! Inline 14: some pills>

錠 is used for counting pills and tablets. If you receive pill or tablet medicines in Japan, make sure to check how many 錠 it recommends you take per day (一日). Only take the recommended dose! Pills such as supplements that aren't considered medicine are normally counted using 粒 (つぶ) instead.

Counts: pill medicine, tablet medicine, capsule medicine

このカプセルを寝る前に2錠飲んでください。

Please take two capsules before bed.

胃薬3錠どこかに落としたっぽい。

I seem to have lost three of my stomach pills somewhere.

親等 (しんとう)

親等 is used to count the degrees of relation or kinship between relatives. In Japan, you and your spouse are considered 0親等, your parents and children are 1親等, your siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren are 2親等, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-grandparents and great-grandchildren are 3親等, first cousins are 4親等, and on from there.

Why are degrees of relation so important? Simple. It's how the police count when they do a background check on you for (say) that job you really wanted. They verify up to the third degree (3親等), so hopefully your great-grandpappy wasn't a shoplifter!

Counts: degrees of relation between relatives

1親等の親族って、通常は誰のことを指すんですか？

Which relatives are generally considered to be in the first degree of kinship?

兄弟姉妹は2親等です。

Siblings are in the second degree of kinship.

図 (ず)

This word means a diagram, illustration (figure), chart, or graph, and counts them when they appear in writing. This is common for textbooks or on tests, but in conversation, the general counters つ and 個 are used more often.

Counts: diagrams, figure illustrations, charts, graphs, sketches, etc.

次の3図を見て問題に答えなさい。

Take a look at the following three diagrams and answer the question.

第2図は、くしゃみの回数の推移を示しています。

Fig. 2 shows changes in the frequency of sneezes.

掬い (すくい)

<! Inline 15: a ladle>

The word 掬う (すくう) means "to scoop," "to spoon," or "to ladle," and 掬い is the noun version used to count these actions. 掬い is usually written in hiragana, though you may see the kanji from time to time. One and two are read using wago, three can be wago or kango, and the rest are kango.

Counts: scoops, spoons, ladles

味噌汁を2掬いお椀に入れてくれた。

She poured two ladles of miso soup into my bowl.

エビフライひとすくい298円ですよー。

One scoop of fried shrimp is ¥298.

筋 (すじ)

筋 can mean "line," "stripe, "streak," "crease," "crack," "wrinkle," or "avenue." 筋 is used to count all of those things—and there are a lot of them. One and two are read using wago, three can be wago or kango, and the rest are kango. This counter is usually written in hiragana or katakana, but you'll see them all used eventually, since it's a pretty common counter.

Counts: straight roads, rays of hope, streaks of sweat, streaks of tears, kimono belts, kimono sashes, straight ropes, straight lights from beacons, straight lights from signal fires, streaks of clouds, smoke plumes, arrows, spears, clear streams, wrinkles, creases, cracks, scratches, hair, loose hair, etc.

1筋の希望が見えてきたぞ。

I'm starting to see a single ray of hope.

車に3スジの傷がついてしまった。

My car got three scratches.

刷/刷り (すり)

これは第12刷ですね。 This is the twelfth printing.

This is used to count specific printings or pressings of printed materials, including novels, encyclopedias, and the like. Combine it with the ordinal number prefix 第 to specify the exact impression or printing of a book. One and two are read using wago, three can be wago or kango, and the rest are kango.

If you want to count the number of copies made of a specific printing, use 部 (ぶ).

Counts: printings, pressings, impressions

この小説の第3版は、既に第5刷も刷られている。

The third edition of this novel is in its fifth printing already.

これは第12刷ですね。

This is the twelfth printing.

世 (せい)

世 is used to count generations. Elizabeth I, for example, is エリザベス一世. A second-generation Japanese American is 日系アメリカ人二世. If you want to count an entire generation of people, it’s preferable to use 世代 (せだい) instead.

Counts: generations

私は日系ブラジル人3世です。

I'm a third-generation Japanese Brazilian.

トーフグ2世のイラストを描いてください。

Draw an illustration of Tofugu the second.

隻 (せき)

<! Inline 16: a big cruise ship>

隻 is used for counting big ships. Small boats use 艘 (そう).

Counts: big ships, battleships, vessels, one folding screen, arrows (archaic), birds (archaic), fish (archaic), etc.

港に3隻の船が停泊していた。

There were three ships anchored in the port.

日本の海上で漁船2隻が衝突したらしい。

Apparently, two fishing vessels collided with each other on the Sea of Japan.

世帯 (せたい)

The word 世帯 means (and is also used to count) households.

Counts: households, families

このマンションには、65世帯が住んでいます。

Sixty-five families live in this apartment building.

2世帯住宅を建てました。

I built a two-family house.

節 (せつ)

This word means (and is used to count) passages, sections, paragraphs, and clauses. "Passages" refers to writing as well as to passages of music.

Counts: passages, sections, paragraphs, verses, clauses, musical passages, periods (sports), etc.

聖書の3節をみんなで暗証した。

We recited three passages from the Bible together.

2節目で首位のチームと2位のチームと対戦することになる。

We will have to play against the top- and second-ranked teams in the second period.

説 (せつ)

説 means (and counts) views, theories, and rumors.

Counts: views, theories, tumors, explanations, opinions, differing opinions, differing views, etc.

1説によると、コウイチは豆腐も河豚も食べられないそうだよ。

According to one rumor, Koichi can eat neither tofu nor fugu.

それについては2説あります。

As for that, there are two theories.

選 (せん)

This kanji means "selection" or "choice," and it's used to count things that are selected, picked, or chosen.

Counts: selections, choices, things that are picked or chosen, etc.

トーフグは、面白いウェブサイト100選に選ばれた。

Tofugu was picked as one of the 100 interesting websites.

美味しい納豆3選をご紹介します。

We're going to introduce our three choices of delicious natto.

膳 (ぜん)

<! Inline 17: a pair of chopsticks>

This kanji is used to count bowls of food and pairs of chopsticks. It's specifically the counter of choice for bowls of rice—bowls of other kinds of food can also be counted with 杯 (はい), but 膳 is more polite. Similarly, counting chopsticks with 膳 is the "correct," polite way to do it.

Counts: chopsticks (as utensils), bowls of rice, bowls of meat, wood that's not yet processed into lumber, etc.

お箸を5膳テーブルに並べておいて。

Can you set five pairs of chopsticks on the table?

ご飯を1膳おかわりした。

I got one more bowl of rice.

層 (そう)

This one is used to count layers.

Counts: layers, cake layers, building floors, pagoda floors, stupa floors, etc.

葡萄の3層ゼリーを作りました。

I made three-layered grape jelly.

2層カーボンのチェックを1冊注文しました。

I ordered a booklet of double-layered carbon checks.

槽 (そう)

This is used to count bathtubs (浴槽/よくそう), water and fish tanks (水槽/すいそう), and washing machine tubs (洗濯槽/せんたくそう), all of which end in the kanji 槽!

Counts: bathtubs, water tanks, fish tanks, washing machine tubs

水槽を3槽買ってきました。

I bought three fish tanks.

浴槽の掃除、6槽のうちまだ1槽しか終わってません。

As for cleaning the bathtubs, I've only finished one of the six so far.

艘 (そう)

<! Inline 18: a little sailboat>

This kanji is used to count boats. If you want to count ships (which are bigger), use 隻 (せき).

Counts: boats, kayaks, bamboo-leaf boats, sailboats, yachts, etc.

公園の池には9艘のボートが浮かんでいた。

Nine boats were floating on the pond in the park.

コウイチはヨットを2艘持っていると言っていたが、折り紙で作ったヨットだった。

Koichi said he owned two yachts, but they were origami ones.

則 (そく)

This is an ordinal number suffix used to count rules. It's usually combined with the ordinal number prefix 第. 4則 is normally read as よんそく, but when you use it for the four basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, etc.), the pronunciation will be しそく.

Counts: rules

社員規則集の第7則は読みましたか?

Did you read the seventh rule of the employee rulebook?

今日学校で4則演算を習いました。

I learned four arithmetic operations at school today.

速 (そく)

This is an ordinal number suffix for vehicle and bicycle gears (used to express, for example, shifting into fourth gear).

Counts: vehicle gears, bicycle gears

ギアを2速に切り替えた。

I shifted into second gear.

雪道なのに3速で100キロで走行するなんて危ないよ！

It's dangerous to drive at 100km/h in third gear on a snowy road!

揃い (そろい)

写真撮影時の雨具1そろいが欲しいな。 I want a set of rain gear for the photo shoot.

The word 揃う (そろう) means "to be complete." This counter, which is the noun version, means "a set of matching items" (because they're complete). It's used to count sets of items with two or more matching pieces. The wago readings are used for one through three, and four can be wago as well, but it's usually kango.

Counts: chopsticks, futon sets, bedding sets, suits, tea sets, utensil sets, biwa (Japanese lutes), etc.

同じ食器のセット、2揃いも買ってどうするの？

Why are you buying two complete sets of the same tableware?

写真撮影時の雨具1そろいが欲しいな。

I want a set of rain gear for the photo shoot.

尊 (そん)

<! Inline 19: a Jizo statue>

This is used to count Buddhist and Jizō statues.

Counts: Buddhist statues, Jizō statues, large statues of Buddha (大仏/だいぶつ)

本堂には、仏様が3尊祀られていた。

There were three statues of Buddha enshrined in the main temple.

1尊のお地蔵様から毛が生えているぞ！

There's hair coming out of one of the Jizō statues!

打 (だ)

This is used to count hits in baseball (that actually hit the ball), strokes in golf, and swings in tennis and table tennis.

Counts: hits in baseball, golf strokes, tennis swings, table tennis swings, punches, hits, etc.

ゴルフで1打罰を食らってしまった。

I got a one-stroke penalty in golf.

あの2打目は痛そうだな。

That second punch looked painful.

体 (たい)

<! Inline 20: a barbie doll>

This one's used to count dolls, statues, and unidentified deceased bodies.

Counts: statues, large statues of Buddha (大仏/だいぶつ), unidentified corpses, carvings, horse pictures, earthen/clay figures, dolls, puppets, plush toys, stuffed animals, Buddhist statues, Jizō statues, Moai statues, objects in which deities or spirits reside, wax models, snowmen, chromosomes, typefaces, styles of handwriting

コウイチはバービー人形を6体持っている。

Koichi has six Barbie dolls.

こんなところに石像3体あったっけ？

Were there three stone statues here?

隊 (たい)

This is used to count corps, units, parties, troops, and so on. Groups of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that go on expeditions are all included in this counter's uses.

Counts: troops, corps, units, parties, expedition teams, medical corps, hospital units, etc.

44隊の探検隊がこのジャングルで行方不明になった。

Forty-four expedition teams went missing in this jungle.

自衛隊が2隊派遣された。

Two troops from the Japanese Self-Defense Force have been dispatched.

代 (だい)

This counter is used for generations (of about thirty years), decades, lifetimes, eras, reigns, and so on. It's also used to count how many decades old a person is. For example, someone in their twenties would be in their 20代.

Counts: generations, lifetimes, specific decades, eras, reigns

コウイチは1代でトーフグをここまで成長させた。

Koichi grew Tofugu this much in his lifetime.

二十代の頃は、お酒ばっかり飲んでいたなあ。

I was drinking a lot in my twenties.

60年代の音楽が好きなんです。

I like 60s music.

題 (だい)

題 is used to count titles, problems, and questions on a test. It can be combined with the ordinal number prefix 代 and the ordinal number suffix 目 to refer to specific problems or questions.

Counts: titles, problems, questions, separate rakugo stories

難しい問題が3題も出題された。

There were three difficult questions.

1日2題ずつ問題を解くようにしています。

I try solving two questions a day.

新しい映画のために100題以上もタイトルを考えたのに、どれも監督には気に入ってもらえなかった。

I came up with more than a hundred titles for the new movie, but the director didn’t like any of them.

卓 (たく)

<! Inline 21: a restaurant-style table>

You use this one to count tables, especially those in a restaurant or diner.

Counts: tables, desks, Mahjong tables, dining tables, etc.

このダイナーにはテーブルが3卓しかない。

This diner only has three tables.

ボードゲームの参加者、5卓募集しています。

We are accepting board game entrants for five tables.

樽 (たる)

This counter is for barrels and kegs. The wago reading is used for one and two, though two can be kango as well.

Counts: barrels and kegs

トーフグのオフィスにはビール樽が5樽常備してあるって本当ですか?

Is it true that there are always five beer kegs at the Tofugu office?

ワイン樽を2樽買った。

I bought two wine barrels.

弾 (だん)

<! Inline 22: a bullet>

This is used to count bullets. It’s also used to count commercial events and campaigns (that come out quickly, one after another, like gunshots). It's common to combine this counter with the ordinal number prefix 第 for when you want to refer to a specific event, like "the first event of this series."

Counts: bullets, events, projects, plans, ideas, etc.

その銃には1弾も弾は入ってないはずだ。

That gun isn't supposed to have any bullets in it.

トーフグのプレゼントキャンペーン第2弾でステッカーが当たった。

I won a sticker in the second round of Tofugu's free gift promotions.

団 (だん)

This kanji is used to count groups, troops, and bodies of people.

Counts: orchestras, travelers, students, fellowships, troops, theatrical troupes, acting troupes, etc.

運悪く、観光客の1団と出くわしてしまった。

Unfortunately, I ran into a group of tourists.

ガールスカウト東京第8団に所属しています。

I belong to Girl Scout Troop 8 in Tokyo.

単位 (たんい)

This word is used to count academic credits.

Counts: academic credits

卒業にはあと4単位必要だ。

I need four more credits to graduate.

テスト期間中にインフルエンザにかかって、今期20単位落とした。

I got the flu during exams, and I lost twenty credits for this term.

段階 (だんかい)

This word means "steps"—not stairsteps, but stages or phases.

Counts: steps, stages, phases, plans, negotiations, processes, procedures, productions, levels, etc.

このプロジェクトを達成するには、2段階のフェーズがあります。

There are two phases to accomplishing this project.

カレーの辛さは、3段階の辛さから選べます。

You can pick your curry's hotness from three levels.

MT車には、普通は5段階のギヤがあります。

Manual cars usually have five gear speeds.

段落 (だんらく)

This is used to count paragraphs and stages of tasks. It can be combined with the ordinal number prefix 第 or the suffix 目 to specify which paragraph or stage is being referenced.

Counts: paragraphs, stages of tasks

この段落、2段落に分けた方がいいんじゃない?

Wouldn't it be better to separate this paragraph in two?

仕事が1段落したら、電話するよ。

I'll call you when I finish the task I'm working on.

この2段落目にある、豆腐河豚という漢字の読み方を教えてください。

Can you teach me how to read the kanji 豆腐河豚 in the second paragraph?

丁 (ちょう)

<! Inline 23: a block of tofu>

This counter is used for six different categories of things. The most common of these is tofu, but there are so many, we wrote an entire article about them! To read more, check out our in-depth guide to the counter 丁 (coming soon).

Counts: tofu, koyadofu, ganmodoki, hanpen, konnyaku, tuna, orders of ramen, orders of soba, lively actions, games, matches, kitchen knives, scissors, etc.

帰りにお豆腐屋さんでお豆腐1丁を買って帰ってきて。

Can you buy a block of tofu at the tofu store on your way back?

はいよ！ラーメン1丁、お待ちどおさま！

Here is your ramen, sorry for the wait!

挺 (ちょう)

ビエトはデスクの引き出しから銃を1挺取り出した。 Viet took a gun out of his desk drawer.

This counter is used to count four different categories of things. The most common are kitchen knives and guns, so make sure to remember those. To learn more, read our full article about the counter 挺 (coming soon).

Counts: kitchen knives, carving knives, axes, saws, chisels, scissors, ice axes, sickles, files, wrenches, nail clippers, spears, lances, oars, spades, hoes, guns, pistols, rifles, guitars, shamisen, violins, palanquins, portable shrines, rickshaws, ink sticks, candles, abacuses, etc.

包丁3挺がスーツケースに入っています。

There are three kitchen knives in the suitcase.

ビエトはデスクの引き出しから銃を1挺取り出した。

Viet took a gun out of his desk drawer.

対 (つい)

This kanji can mean "opposite," "equal," or "compare," and it's used to count pairs.

Counts: stilts, pairs of hanging scrolls, earrings, pairs of flower offerings, pairs of rice balls, etc.

天使から1対の翼をプレゼントしてもらったんだ。

An angel gave me a pair of wings.

ペアグラスを2対買って、1対は両親にプレゼントした。

I bought two sets of glasses and gave one pair to my parents.

掴み (つかみ)

The verb 掴む (つかむ) means "to grab." 掴み is the noun version, and it's used to count grabbable portions. It's usually translated to "handfuls" in English. The wago readings are used for one and two, and the rest are normally in kango.

Counts: handfuls of things

パセリ1掴みってどれぐらいの量かな。

I wonder how much a handful of parsley is.

しめじを2つかみとベーコンをたくさん用意してください。

Prepare two handfuls of shimeji mushrooms and a lot of bacon.

包み (つつみ)

<! Inline 24: a money envelope>

The verb 包む (つつむ) means "to wrap." 包み is the noun version, and it's used to count wrapped things. Paper money (bills) "wrapped" in envelopes also count. One or two wrapped things will be counted with the wago readings, then the rest will use kango.

Counts: wrapped gifts, wrapped sweets, envelopes of money, individual packages, etc.

お土産に、お茶菓子14包みを用意しています。

I prepared fourteen wrapped tea treats as souvenirs.

朝ごはんにクッキーを2包み食べた。

I ate two (individual) packs of cookies for breakfast.

綴/綴り (つづり)

This is used to count sets of papers connected together. This includes small booklets of coupons, pages with multiple discoun