· Classifiers
- suffixes used to count objects and beings;
- they are attached to the numerals following the pattern:
Noun + Particle + Numeral + Classifier
Ex: ひと が ろく にん います
Hito ga roku nin imasu / There are six men.
The most commonly used classifiers are:
まい, mai – used to count thin, flat objects (tickets, stamps, pieces of paper, etc.)
Ex: ここに かみが さんまい あります
Koko ni kami ga sanmai arimasu / There are 3 pieces of paper here.
だい, dai – used to count mechanical, technological objects (cars, TVs, bicycles, etc.)
Ex: あそこに じてんしゃが にだい あります
Asoko ni jitenshaga nidai arimasu / There are two bicycles over there.
ほん, hon – used to count long, cylindrical objects (pencils, glasses, trees, etc.)
Ex: ここに びんが ごほん あります
Koko ni bin ga gohon arimasu / There are two glasses here.
さつ, satsu – used to count the volumes of some bound objects (books, magazines, etc.)
Ex: じしょが にさつ あります
Jisho ga nisatsu arimasu / There are two dictionaries.
ひき, hiki – used to count small animals (cats, little dogs, etc.)
Ex: あそこに ねっこが にひき あります
Asokoni nekko ga nihiki imasu / There are two cats over there.
わ, wa – used to count birds
Ex: ここに とりが ごわ あります
Kokoni tori ga gowa imasu / There are five birds here.
けん, ken – used to count buildings, constructions:
Ex: ひだりに たてものが にけん あります
Hidarini tatemono ga niken arimasu/ There are two building on the left.
にん, nin – used to count people
Ex: あそこに ひとが じゅうごにん います
Asoko ni hito ga juugo nin imasu / There are fifteen people over there.
そく, soku – used to count objects which come in pairs (shoes, socks, etc.)
Ex: ここに くつが よんそく あります
Koko ni kutsu ga yonsoku arimasu / There are four pairs of shoes over here.
v Obs.
In Japanese, there are some irregular forms in the numeral system and among the classifiers as well; thus, some characters become voiced.
- In the numeral system, and only for hundreds and thousands, the numbers 3, 6 and 8 become voiced
- Among the classifiers, the irregular forms are that of the numbers 1, 3, 6 ,8 and 10
Examples:
For the numeral system:
Hyaku – hundred (100) in “three hundreds” 300, the “h” in “hyaku” becomes b / 300 – さんびゃく/ sanbyaku
in 600, 800 the “h” in “hyaku” becomes “p”
600 - ろっぴゃく / roppyaku ; 800 - はっぴゃく/ happyaku
Sen – thousand (1000), only in 3000 the “s” in “sen” becomes “z”
3000 - さんぜん / sanzen
Among the classifiers:
The numbers 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 become voiced for the following categories:
- Hon
- Soku - only the number 3 becomes voiced, “s” becomes “z” さんぞ/ Sanzoku/ 3
- Hiki
- Wa
Among the classifiers beginning with an “h”:
- When used with 1, 6, 8, 10, “h” becomes “p”
- いっぽん/Ippon/1 ,ろっぽん/Roppon/6 , はっぽん/Happon/8,じっぽん/Juuppon /10
- いっぴき/Ippiki/1,ろっぴき/Roppiki/6,はっぴき/Happiki/8,じっぴき/Juuppiki/10
- When used with 3, “h” becomes “b” さんぼん/ Sanbon/3 ; さんびき/Sanbiki/3