Question
I’m just starting out with Japanese and my textbook keeps using different little words after numbers — nihon for bottles, nimai for paper, futatsu for snacks. What are Japanese counters, and how do I get started using them?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
助数詞（じょすうし）
Josuushi
Counter words
Counters trip up almost every beginner, so you’re in good company. In Japanese, when you say how many of something, you add a short word after the number that depends on what you’re counting — a bit like saying “two sheets of paper” in English, but for most things.
A few you’ll meet early: tsu (つ) is the all-purpose one for 1 to 10 (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu); ko (個) is for small round things; nin (人) is for people (hitori, futari, sannin); hon (本) for long thin things like pens; mai (枚) for flat things like paper; hiki (匹) for small animals.
A practical tip: when you’re unsure, fall back on tsu up to ten. Shop staff will understand you, and you can pick up the specific ones as you go.
