Language Japanese Counters and Classifiers

The Japanese counting system has been taken over from the Chinese. While the Western counting system counts up to 1,000, the Japanese and Chinese system counts up to 10,000. Please find more information on our page on Japanese Numbers & Higher Numerals.

Another difference is the way numbers are constructed. The basic rule is that the location of the digit is indicated as in "two thousand five hundred". When counting from 1 to 10 "shi" is used for 4 and "shichi" for 7, but when using numbers, the preference is given to the readings "yon" for 4 and "nana" for 7.

24 二十四 (ni jū yon)

4,096 四千九十六 (yon sen kyū jū roku)

Some combinations are contracted:

300 三百 (sanbyaku)
600 六百 (roppyaku)
800 八百 (happyaku)
3,000 三千 (sanzen)
8,000 八千 (hassen)
1,000,000,000,000 一兆 (ichō)
8,000,000,000,000 八兆 (hachō)
10,000,000,000,000 十兆 (juchō / jichō)

一 (ichi) is only placed before 万 (man), 億 (oku), 兆 (chou) and 京 (kei). 十 (juu), 百 (hyaku) and 千 (sen) are never preceded by 一 (ichi).

111,111,111
一億千百十一万千百十一(ichi oku sen hyaku jū ichi man sen hyaku jū ichi)

Unlucky numbers

4 and 9 are considered unlucky numbers in Japanese because of sound association. "Shi" (4) is associated with death (死 shi) and "ku" (9) is associated with suffering (苦 ku).

Telephone Numbers

Telephone numbers are commonly read as follows:

0 maru
1 hito
2 ni
3 san
4 yon
5 go
6 roku - no
7 nana
8 hachi
9 kyū

Therefore, the fictional phone number 0312-54-9678 would then be read as:

"maru san hito ni no go yon no kyū roku nana hachi".

Counting Time

When counting time elements, several irregularities occur.

Age

For counting one's age, you use the classifier 才 or 歳 (sai). Here too several contractions occur, but especially "20 years old" has an irregular reading.

Hours

Hours are counted with two different classifiers, depending on whether you are counting the duration of time, 時間 (jikan), or reading time, 時 (ji). Pay particular attention to numbers ending on 4, 7, and 9.

Days

Days can be counted as days of the month or the number of days. In particular 1 – 10, 14, 20, and 24 are irregular. Every number ending on 4 has the same irregularity as 14 and 24. See our page on Japanese weekdays.

Months

Months are counted regular, but again the distinction is made between some months and the twelve months of the year. Note the difference between the reading of 月 (getsu / gatsu).

Years

Four-digit years are always pronounced in full, and not as in English "eighteen sixty-eight". When written in kanji you may encounter years without the identifiers. When written in this way, the zero is written as a circle (maru).

99年 kyuu juu kyuu nen '99
一八六八年 sen happyaku roku juu hachi nen 1868
二〇才 hatachi 20 years old

Note: 年 (nen) can be used both to count years and to describe a timespan in years. 年間 (nenkan) can only be used to describe a timespan. In Japan, both the Gregorian calendar and the Japanese calendar are used. In the Japanese calendar, years are started from count one at the rule of a new emperor.

Classifiers

When counting anything, you will need classifiers. Classifiers identify the type of object you are counting. To give you an example, when you want to say "three cars" you cannot merely say 三車(san kuruma), you will need the classifier for machinery 台 (dai): 三台の車 (san dai no kuruma) or 車三台 (kuruma san dai).

Note: You can place the number plus classifier before the counted object by using the particle の (no), if you place the number after the object being counted you don't use の (no).

Though the Japanese prefer to use the correct classifier, there are so many that even the Japanese do not use or even know all of them. In these cases, the Japanese reading for the numbers 1 – 10 is used, for higher numbers the regular Chinese reading mentioned above is used.

Classifier overview

Here you will find the most common classifiers and the type of object they are used for. Below these, you will find the irregular combinations where they exist.

Animate objects

• 頭 (tō): used for large (farm) animals (cows, deer, whales, statues, etc.; 1頭 (ittō), 8頭 (hattō), 10頭 (jittō/juttō), 100頭 (hyattō)
• 人 (nin): used for people; 1人 (hitori); 2人 (futari); 4人 (yo nin), 14人 (juu yo nin), etc.
• 匹 (hiki): used for small animals (dogs, cats, etc.); 1匹 (ippiki, 3匹 (sambiki), 6匹 (roppiki), 8匹 (happiki), 10匹 (jippiki/juppiki)
• 名 (mei): used for people (honorific)
• 羽 (wa): used for birds and rabbits, chicken, hares, etc.

Inanimate objects

• 個 (ko): used for small items, dices, paperclips, etc.; 1個 (ikko), 6個 (rokko), 8個 (hakko), 10個 (jikko)
• 冊 (satsu): used for volumes, books, magazines, etc.; 1冊 (issatsu); 8冊 (hassatsu); 10冊 (jissatsu/jussatsu)
• 台 (dai): used for machinery , cars, vending machines, etc.
• 杯 (hai): used for drinks, beer, coffee, etc.; 1杯 (ippai), 3杯 (sambai), 6杯 (roppai), 8杯 (happai), 10杯 (jippai/juppai)
• 泊 (haku): used for overnight stays; 1泊 (ippaku), 3泊 (sampaku), 6泊 (roppaku), 8泊 (happaku), 10泊 (jippaku/juppaku)
• 本 (hon): used for long cylindrical objects (pens, bottles, etc.); 1本 (ippon), 3本 (sambon), 6本 (roppon), 8本 (happon), 10本 (jippon/juppon)
• 枚 (mai): used for thin sheets, paper, record sleeves, etc.

List of counters (in alphabetical order):

1. The counter 番 may be used with hito and futa but not when it is used to count serial numbers.
2. Nanuka for 1 is 初七日 shonanuka.
Source: Imabi Japanese Learning Center

Links:

• American/Japanese Higher Numbers
• The Number System of Ancient Japanese