Japanese Counters: Ko, Hon, Mai, and Nin

Japanese commonly pairs a number with a counter suited to what is counted. Learn the object category and the spoken number together. 本 counts many long objects here; it is not the word for “book” in every compound. Books normally use 冊.

Formation and use

Use 個 for many small items, 本 for items such as pencils or bottles, 枚 for paper or shirts, and 人 for people. Categories have conventional exceptions, so confirm unfamiliar nouns.

Sound changes matter: 一本（いっぽん）, 三本（さんぼん）, 六本（ろっぽん）. Do not pronounce every 本 as ほん after a number.

Comparisons and common errors

People have special readings 一人（ひとり） and 二人（ふたり）; 三人 is さんにん. Questions use 何人（なんにん） and 何枚（なんまい）.

In 紙を三枚ください, the object and quantity form one request. An alternative noun phrase is 三枚の紙. Use one complete structure rather than mixing their particle positions.

Practise with explanations

Try the 10 questions below, or open the practice set. Check each answer or the whole set, read the explanation, and retry mistakes. First-attempt results are kept separately on this device.

Connected lessons

• Ikutsu and Nansai: Ask How Many and How Old
• Nani or Nan: Read and Use 何 in Questions
• The Particle Wo