〜本
counter for long, thin things
一本 (いっぽん), 二本 (にほん), 三本 (さんぼん) …
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本 counts long, thin things: pens, bottles, umbrellas, trees, and also trains and films (a "run" of something).
Its sound changes with the number, the same way many counters starting with h do:
- ぼん after 3: さんぼん, and 何本 is なんぼん
- っぽん after 1, 6, 8 and 10: いっぽん, ろっぽん, はっぽん, じゅっぽん
- ほん elsewhere: にほん, よんほん, ごほん, ななほん, きゅうほん
These changes (h → b, h → pp) show up across counters, so learning them here pays off with 杯 (cups) and 匹 (animals) later.
Examples
ペンを一本貸してください。
Could you lend me a pen?
ビールを三本買いました。
I bought three bottles of beer.
傘立てにかさが二本あります。
There are two umbrellas in the umbrella stand.
鉛筆は何本ありますか。
How many pencils are there?
一時間に電車が六本あります。
There are six trains an hour.