immersionlog
Sign inCreate account

〜冊・〜台・〜匹・〜杯・〜階

counters for books, machines, small animals, cupfuls, floors

Noun + が/を + Number + counter

Sign up free to review this point on a spaced schedule.

Beyond つ, 人, 本 and 枚, a few more counters come up constantly:

  • 冊 for books and notebooks: 三冊.
  • 台 for cars, bikes and machines: 二台.
  • 匹 for small animals: 一匹 (いっぴき), 三匹 (さんびき).
  • 杯 for cupfuls and glassfuls: 二杯 (にはい), 三杯 (さんばい).
  • 階 for floors: 三階 (さんがい).

Like other counters, they usually follow the noun and its particle: 本を三冊買った.

Sound changes are common: 一, 六, 八 and 十 often double the next consonant (いっぴき, ろっぴき), and 三 often voices it (さんびき, さんばい). When in doubt, つ works for small objects, but not for people, animals or floors.

Examples

  • 本ほんを三冊さんさつ買かいました。

    I bought three books.

  • 家いえに車くるまが二台にだいあります。

    We have two cars.

  • 庭にわに猫ねこが一匹いっぴきいます。

    There's a cat in the garden.

  • コーヒーを二杯にはい飲のみました。

    I drank two cups of coffee.

  • トイレは三階さんがいにあります。

    The toilets are on the third floor.

Related