Hello! On Day 14, we’re mastering counting in Japanese for JLPT N5, covering number readings, including the full sequence for the つ counter (e.g., ふたつ, みっつ), vocabulary for items to count, correct counter combinations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Counting in Japanese is unique because numbers change depending on the counter, and choosing the right one is key to sounding natural. Let’s make it fun and clear!
Numbers and Their Readings
Here’s a table of numbers 1-10 with their standard readings and variations used with counters, as per JLPT N5, emphasizing the つ counter readings.
| Standard Reading | つ Counter Reading | こ Counter Reading | ほん Counter Reading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | いち (ichi) | ひとつ (hitotsu) | いっこ (ikko) | いっぽん (ippon) |
| 2 | に (ni) | ふたつ (futatsu) | にこ (niko) | にほん (nihon) |
| 3 | さん (san) | みっつ (mittsu) | さんこ (sanko) | さんほん (sanhon) さんぼん (sanbon) |
| 4 | よん (yon) | よっつ (yottsu) | よんこ (yonko) | よんほん (yonhon) |
| 5 | ご (go) | いつつ (itsutsu) | ごこ (goko) | ごほん (gohon) |
| 6 | ろく (roku) | むっつ (muttsu) | ろっこ (rokko) | ろくほん (rokuhon) ろっぽん (roppon) |
| 7 | なな (nana) しち (shichi) | ななつ (nanatsu) | ななこ (nanako) | ななほん (nanahon) |
| 8 | はち (hachi) | やっつ (yattsu) | はっこ (hakko) | はちほん (hachihon) はっぽん (happon) |
| 9 | きゅう (kyuu) | ここのつ (kokonotsu) | きゅうこ (kyuuko) | きゅうほん (kyuuhon) |
| 10 | じゅう (juu) | とお (too) | じゅっこ (jukko) | じゅっぽん (juppon) |
Note: The つ counter uses native Japanese readings (e.g., ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ), which are common for general objects like apples or books.
For example, “one apple” is りんご ひとつ (ringo hitotsu) or りんご いっこ (ringo ikko), but never りんご いちつ.
Vocabulary: Things to Count
Here are JLPT N5 nouns for items you might count in daily life.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| りんご | ringo | Apple |
| ペン | pen | Pen |
| かみ | kami | Paper |
| ひと | hito | Person |
| ねこ | neko | Cat |
| いぬ | inu | Dog |
| ほん | hon | Book |
| びん | bin | Bottle |
Grammar Point
To count items, use the structure: [item] + [number + counter].
For example, りんご ふたつ (ringo futatsu) means “two apples.” Counters depend on the item’s type:
- つ (tsu): General objects (e.g., ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ for apples, books).
- こ(ko): Small, tangible objects (e.g., いっこ, にこ for apples, candies).
- にん (nin): People (e.g., ひとり, ふたり, さんにん).
- まい (mai): Flat objects (e.g., paper, tickets, いちまい, にまい).
- ほん (hon): Long, cylindrical objects (e.g., pens, bottles, いっぽん, にほん).
- ひき (hiki): Small animals (e.g., cats, dogs, いっぴき, にひき).
To ask “how many,” use なん + [counter], like なんにん (nan nin, “how many people?”) or なんこ (nan-ko, “how many items?”). Add です (desu) for politeness.
Plactice: Correct Combinations
Let’s choose the correct one from the two options.
- One apple – りんご ひと or いち つ
- Three people – みっ or さん にん
- Four pieces of paper – かみ よん まい or こ
- Two pens – ペン に or ふた ほん
- Five cats – ねこ ご にん or ひき
- Seven pencils – えんぴつ なな ひき or ほん
- Two bottles – びん に ほん or まい
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using incorrect counters or number readings can make your Japanese sound unnatural. Here are examples of mistakes and their corrections:
- Wrong: りんご いちつ (ringo ichi-tsu.)
- Incorrect because いちつ is not used; つ uses ひとつ for one.
Correct: りんご ひとつ (ringo hitotsu) or りんご いっこ (ringo ikko)
- Incorrect because いちつ is not used; つ uses ひとつ for one.
- Wrong: りんご みっこ (ringo mikko)
- Incorrect because さん changes to みっ with つ, not こ.
Correct: りんご みっつ (ringo mittsu) or りんご さんこ (ringo san-ko) - Three apples.
- Incorrect because さん changes to みっ with つ, not こ.
Conclusion
Awesome job mastering JLPT N5 counting with counters like つ (ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ) and こ!
Practice counting items around you, like りんご ふたつ (two apples) or ペン いっぽん (one pen).
Pay attention to number reading changes to sound natural.
You’re acing your JLPT N5 prep! Keep practicing, and we’ll explore more tomorrow!
