- Kanji

Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

watashi

boku

kare
kanojo

anata

kore
koko

kono

sore
soko

sono

hito
inu
neko
ie
arigatou

I
(formal for males, normal
for females)
I
(normal for males)
he
she
you
(singular/normal)
this (noun)
here
this
(descriptive - ex. this pen)
that (noun)
there
that
(descriptive - ex. that pen)
person
dog
cat
house
Thank you. (normal)

arigatou gozaimasu

Thank you. (formal)

You're welcome. (normal)

douitashimashite
ohayou
(sounds like "Ohio")

ohayou gozaimasu

konnichiwa
konbanwa
sayonara
gambatte kudasai
(can also be written "ganbatte
kudasai")
ki o tsukete kudasai
(can also be written "ki wo
tsukete kudasai")

English Meaning

Good morning. (informal)

Good morning.
(normal and formal)
Hello. (normal)
Good evening. (normal)
Goodbye. (normal)
Hang in there

Be careful, Take care

Japanese grammar is quite simple and straight forward but very different from English grammar so
most English speakers find it rather confusing. For instance, in Japanese grammar the verb always
comes at the end. The best thing you can do when learning Japanese grammar is to learn it from the
bottom up and not compare it to English grammar.
Japanese grammar uses what we will refer to as particles to mark the various parts of the sentence.
The main Japanese particles are: (These particles will be described in more detail below)

wa
(as mentioned in Lesson 1, the Hiragana "ha" is
topic marker
pronounced "wa" when it immediately follows the
topic)
ga
subject marker
wo
direct object marker
(pronounced "o")
direction marker, time
ni
marker, indirect object
marker
e
(as mentioned in Lesson 1, the Hiragana "he" is
direction marker
pronounced "e" when it immediately follows a
place or direction)

The particles "wa" () and "ga" (): The particle "wa" marks the topic of the sentence and the
particle "ga" marks the subject of the sentence. In the example, "I know where you live"
(watashi wa anata ga doko ni sunde iru ka shitte iru), "I" would be the topic while "you" would be the
subject.
Not all Japanese sentences have both a topic and subject and, in many cases, the topic is implied in
Japanese (for example, the "I" (watashi wa) would be left out of this sentence because it is implied
that since I am talking I am the one that knows where you live). Many Japanese books and teachers
teach that "wa" and "ga" are the same thing and it doesn't matter which you use when. This is not the
case but I wouldn't worry too much about keeping them straight at first - it will come with time.
The particle "wo" (): The particle "wo" (or "o") marks the direct object of a Japanese sentence. In
the example, "I'm going to take her home" (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru), "her" would be the
direct object.
The particle "ni" (): The particle "ni" can be used to mark the direction, time, or the indirect object
of a Japanese sentence.
An example of a direction marker can be seen in the previous example "I'm going to take her home"
(watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru). In this case, the "ni" acts like a "to" - "I'm going to take her 'to'
home". The particle "e" () can be used in this way as well but usually implies more of a general
direction as opposed to a specific place.
The particle "ni" is also used to mark time in a Japanese sentence. For example, "I'm leaving at 3
o'clock" (watashi wa sanji ni hanareru).
The final use for the particle "ni" in Japanese grammar is that of indirect object marker. In the
example, "I was taken home by him" (watashi wa kare ni ie made okurareta), "him" is the indirect
object.
Note: The "watashi wa" in all of the example sentences used above would normally be left out as it is
implied.

Numbers, Time, and Days of the Week

Before we get too much further into Japanese grammar and verb conjugation, I thought it would be a
good idea to teach Japanese numbers, time, days of the week, etc.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
ichi
ni
san
shi (yon after 10)
go
roku
shichi (nana after 10)
hachi
kyuu
juu
hyaku

English Meaning
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
hundred

Numbers after 10 are a piece of cake once you know 1 through 10. 11 is simply ten with a one after it,
(, juuichi), 12 - juuni, 13 - juusan, 14 - juuyon, etc. 20 is simply (, nijuu),
21 - nijuuichi, and so forth.
Put these numbers in front of the character for time and you've got the time of the day.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

...etc.

Romaji
(English Letters)
ichiji
niji
nijihan
nijiyonjuugofun

English Meaning
one o'clock
two o'clock
two thirty ( means half)
2:45 ( means minute)

Now just put the character for moon after a number and you've got a month.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

...etc.

Romaji
(English Letters)
ichigatsu
nigatsu
sangatsu
shigatsu

English Meaning
January
February
March
April

Japanese days of the week don't follow such an easy pattern but here they are anyway along with
some other time-related words.

 - Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
nichiyoubi
getsuyoubi
kayoubi
suiyoubi
mokuyoubi
kinyoubi
doyoubi
kyou
ashita
kinou
ototoi

asatte

kesa
konban
ima

English Meaning
Sunday ( - sun/day)
Monday ( - moon)
Tuesday ( - fire)
Wednesday ( - water)
Thursday ( - tree/wood)
Friday ( - gold)
Saturday ( - dirt)
Today
Tomorrow
Yesterday
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow (a
small "tsu" () makes a
double consonant)
this morning
this evening
now

Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugate
Japanese verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanese
people will leave out everything but the verb.
They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which can get confusing
at times. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that
is very simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the
Godan () verbs. These verbs always conjugate the same way with only one exception. These
verbs have five changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels, hence the name Godan
(meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms that are common to all verbs. Here's an
example:
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

hanasu (to speak)

hanasa
hanashi
hanasu
hanase
hanasou
hanashite
hanashita

Verb Base

Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai.
(ex. hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes
(wa). (ex. au (Base 1) -> awa)
(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a business
environment. We will go over the polite form in lesson 8.)
Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself but is primarily used with the polite form
of the verb.

Base 3: Base 3 is the main form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain
form present/future tense.
Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say
something.) It can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend
not using it at all.
Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other
ways it's used in later lessons.
Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only be
used with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base
"te" can also be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.
Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is
mainly used by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other
ways it's used in later lessons.
Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms
correctly. Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in (u), (tsu), or (ru); the (u), (tsu), or
(ru) becomes (tte) in the "te" form and (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte
(Win!), katta (We won!))
For all Godan verbs ending in (bu), (mu), or (nu); the (bu), (mu), or (nu) becomes
(nde) in the "te" form and (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda
(I read it.))
For all Godan verbs ending in (ku), the (ku) becomes (ite) in the "te" form and (ita) in
the "ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) The only exception to this
rule is for the verb iku (to go) which becomes , (itte/itta).
For all Godan verbs ending in (gu), the (gu) becomes (ide) in the "te" form and (ida) in
the "ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))
For all Godan verbs ending in (su), the (su) becomes (shite) in the "te" form and
(shita) in the "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to
him).))
Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just
learned. Click here for the answers.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
au
katsu
uru
asobu
nomu
shinu
aruku
oyogu
kesu

iku

English Meaning
to meet
to win
to sell
to play
to drink
to die
to walk
to swim
to erase, turn off
to go
(Remember the exception for
Bases "te"and "ta")

Ichidan Verbs -
The second group of Japanese verbs are called Ichidan () verbs. It is usually an Ichidan verb if it
ends with the sound "iru" or "eru". Some well used Japanese verbs which appear to be Ichidan but
are really Godan are listed here. Ichidan verbs also follow a simple conjugation pattern that is
somewhat similar to that of the Godan verbs. Here's an example:
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

taberu (to eat)

tabe
tabe
taberu
tabere
tabeyou
tabete
tabeta

Verb Base

Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Base 1 and Base 2: As you can see, Base 1 and 2 are the same. Just like with the Godan verbs, a
negative can be made by adding -nai (ex. tabenai - I will not eat.) and this base, or root form, is also
used for the formal form of the verb.
Base 3: Base 3 is the same as with Godan verbs.
Base 4: Base 4, however, can not be used by itself like with Godan verbs. It is only used for "if verb"
by adding -ba. (ex. tabereba - If I eat it...) It is not the low command form for Ichidan verbs. The low
command form for Ichidan verbs is Base 1 + (ro).
Base 5: Base 5 is the same as with Godan verbs.
Base "te" and Base "ta": The Base "te" and "ta" forms for Ichidan verbs are a lot easier than with
Godan verbs. Simply take off the "ru" and add a "te" for Base "te" and a "ta" for Base "ta". These have
the same functions as with Godan verbs.
Here are some Ichidan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just
learned. Click here for the answers.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

iru

miru
neru
kiru
dekiru
oboeru

English Meaning
to exist (animate), to be
somewhere
to see
to sleep
to wear, put on
can do
to remember

Irregular Verbs
6

The last type of verbs are the Irregular verbs but there are only 2 of them in the entire language so
just memorize their charts below. The first one is suru (to do something). Many nouns can be used as
a verb simply by putting "suru" right after them. It is probably the most used of all Japanese verbs.
The second Irregular verb is kuru (to come).
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

suru (to do)

shi
shi
suru
sure
shiyou
shite
shita

Verb Base

Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be
used as the "if verb".
The rude command form is "Shiro".
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

kuru (to come)

ko
ki
kuru
kure
koyou
kite
kita

Verb Base

Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be
used as the "if verb".
The rude command form is "Koi" and really should only be used on animals.

Using Verb Bases

Now that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do
with those verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to Lesson 6 and Lesson 7 while learning
these. The following chart applies to all Japanese verbs unless otherwise noted.
Hiragana
Base 1 +
Base 1 +
Base 2 +
Base 2 +
Base 2 +
Base 2 +

Romaji
(English Letters)
Base 1 + nai
Base 1 + nakatta
Base 2 + masu
Base 2 + mashita
Base 2 + masen
Base 2 + masen
deshita

English Meaning
plain form negative (will not verb)
plain form past negative (did not verb)
polite form present/future tense
polite form past tense
polite form negative (will not verb)
polite form past negative (did not verb)

Base 2 +
Base 3
Base 4 +
Base 4 +
Base 4 +
Base 5 +

Base "te" +
Base "te"
Base "te" +
Base "te" +
Base "te" +
Base "ta"
Base "ta" +
Base "ta" +

want to verb (add (desu) to make it polite)

plain form present/future tense
if verb
plain form can verb (Godan verbs only)
Base 4 + ru
(verb now becomes an Ichidan verb)
Base 4 + masu
polite form can verb (can be changed like above)
try to verb
Base 5 + to suru
(this suru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do
something))
want someone else to verb
Base "te" + hoshii
(hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the next
lesson)
Base "te"
plain form command
Base "te" + kudasai
polite form command
plain form presently verbing
Base "te" + iru
(this iru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to exist
(animate))
Base "te" + imasu polite form presently verbing (can be changed like above)
Base "ta"
plain form past tense
Base "ta" + ra
if and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)
do such things as...
Base "ta" + ri suru (this suru is also the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do
something))
Base 2 + tai
Base 3
Base 4 + ba

Adjectives and Adverbs

There are two different types of Japanese words that can be used to modify nouns (adjectives) and
verbs (adverbs). One group is much like what we would call an adjective but they can also be
conjugated to modify verbs as well. We will refer to these as "dv" (for "descriptive verb"). These are
often referred to as "true adjectives" or "i-adjectives". The other group can, in most cases, stand alone
like a noun but can also be used to modify nouns and verbs. We will refer to these as "dn" (for
"descriptive noun"). These are often referred to as "quasi adjectives" or "na-adjectives".
All adjectives in the "dv" group always end with (i). No exceptions. These are placed in front of a
noun in order to modify it. For example:
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
akai kuruma

English Meaning
red car

These adjectives can be conjugated to form different tenses, turned into adverbs (modify verbs), etc.
The conjugation rules for "true" Japanese adjectives are as follows:
- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

drop the
and add

drop the "i"

and add "ku"

drop the
and add
drop the
and add
drop the

drop the "i"

and add "kunai"
drop the "i"
and add "katta"
drop the "i"

English Meaning
modifies a verb (adverb form)
(akaku natta -> became red)
(naru is the verb "to become")
present tense negative
(akakunai -> is not red)
past tense
(akakatta -> was red)
past tense negative

and add

and add "kunakatta"

(akakunakatta -> was not red)

(This one might take a little practice saying.)

It's not as easy to recognize "dn" adjectives but I will point them out in the vocabulary lists. Sometimes
you'll even find a "dn" that ends in (i) (ex. kirei - pretty). As mentioned before, these words can, in
most cases, be used by themselves like a noun (ex. shizen - nature). By adding a (na) to the end of
these words they can be used to modify a noun (ex. shizen na kankyou -> a natural environment).
And by adding a (ni) to the end of these words they can be used to modify a verb as an adverb (ex.
shizen
ni
aruku
->
to
walk
naturally).
Here's a list of some commonly used "dv" and "dn" adjectives:
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
akai (dv)
kiiroi (dv)
aoi (dv)
kuroi (dv)
shiroi (dv)
omoshiroi (dv)
atsui (dv)
samui (dv)
ookii (dv)
chiisai (dv)
shizen (dn)
kirei (dn)
shitsurei (dn)
shizuka (dn)
tokubetsu (dn)
genki (dn)
hen (dn)
jouzu (dn)
shinsetsu (dn)
suteki (dn)

English Meaning
red
yellow
blue
black
white
interesting, funny
hot
cold
big
small
nature
pretty, clean
rude
quiet
special
in good spirits
weird, strange
skillful
kind, nice
"cool", good looking

Cultural Notes
The Japanese mention the family name first when using full names. For example, with the name
Kimura Ichirou, Ichirou is the given name and Kimura is the family name. The Japanese do not have
middle names. Everyone knows that people in Western countries put the given name first, so you can
introduce yourself without reversing your name. Outside their families or circle of closest friends,
Japanese adults are rarely addressed by their given names, even by neighbors or co-workers. Learn
about common Japanese surnames.
Vocabulary and Expressions
Click the link to hear the pronunciation.

Konnichiwa.

Hello, Good afternoon

kochira

this person (It is used when introducing someone.)

watashi

I (Learn more about personal pronouns.)

tomodachi

friend

Hajimemashite.
How do you do? (It is used when meeting for the first time.)

Douzo yoroshiku. Nice to meet you.

gakusei

student

hai

yes (Learn more about "hai.")

go-senmon

someone else's field of study ("Go" is for politeness.)

keizai

economics

anata

you

iie

no

hisho

secretary

Sou desu ka.

I see. (It is pronounced with falling intonation. With rising intonation,

it becomes a question.)

Grammar
(1) Nouns

10

Japanese nouns have no gender, no singular/plural, and no articles. ("the" and "a" etc.) For
example, the word "tomodachi" can be "a friend," "the friend," "friends," or "the friends." Usually
the context tells the particular meaning of a word.
(2) ~ desu
"~ desu " is equivalent to English "am," "are," or "is." Unlike English, it doesn't change
its form according to the subject. "~ desu" always comes at the end of a sentence.
Watashi wa gakusei desu.

Kochira wa Yamada-san desu.

Watashitachi wa tomodachi desu.

I am a student.
This is Ms. Yamada.
We are friends.

(3) Omission of topic

When it is obvious to the other person what the topic is, it is generally omitted.
(Watashi wa) Hiroko desu.
I am Hiroko.

(Watashi wa) gakusei desu.

I am a student.

(4) Negative form

The negative form of "~ desu " is "~ ja arimasen " or "~ dewa
arimasen ." "~ dewa arimasen" is more formal, and "~ ja arimasen" is common
in casual conversation.
Gakusei dewa arimasen.

Nihon-jin ja arimasen.

I am not a student.
I am not Japanese.

(1) Particles
A particle is a word that shows the relationship of a word, a phrase or a clause to the rest of the
sentence. Particles are an important part of Japanese sentence structure. They resemble English
prepositions in the way they connect words, but unlike English prepositions, which come before
nouns, Japanese particles always come after nouns. Often these particles can not be translated.
Click here to learn more about particles.
Wa (topic marker)
The particle "wa" has no English equivalent. It tells you that the noun in front of it is the topic of
the sentence. What comes after "wa" is the comment. Literally, "wa" means "as for."
Watashi wa gakusei desu.
I am a student.

Mo (also)

11

The particle "mo" means "also," "too," or "as well." It is used in both affirmative and negative
sentences.
Anata mo gakusei desu ka.

Are you a student, too?

No (possessive marker)
The particle "no" indicates possession or attribution and comes after the noun it modifies. It is like
the English apostrophe ('s). E.g. Karen's.
Watashi no tomodachi
My friend

Kimura-san no senmon
Mr. Kimura's field of study

(2) Questions
The particle "ka" is a question marker. The formation of a question in Japanese is easy. Put the
particle "ka" at the end of a sentence and it becomes a question. The word order does not change.
Kimura-san wa gakusei desu.

Kimura-san wa gakusei desu ka.

Mr. Kimura is a student.

Is Mr. Kimura a student?

(1) Short Questions

When asking information about someone's name or country etc., a shortened form of a question is
often used. This leaves just the topic, which is said with rising intonation.

O-namae wa (nan desu ka).

(What is) your name?

O-kuni wa (dochira desu ka).

()

(Where is) your country?

Go-senmon wa (nan desu ka).

()

(What is) your field of study?

(2) How to end a conversation

Dewa mata.

See you later.

Ja mata.

See you later. (less formal)

Mata ashita.

See you tomorrow.

Sayonara.

Good-bye.

Shitsurei shimasu.

I am going to leave. (very formal)

12

"Sayonara " is not normally used when leaving one's own homes or places of
temporary residence unless one is leaving for a very long time. If you know that you will see a
person again soon, expressions like "Ja mata " or "Mata ashita ()" are used.
"Shitsurei shimasu()" is a formal expression used when announcing that you are leaving
someone's presence or when you are leaving before someone else (in this case, it is often said as
"Osakini shitsurei shimasu().") It is also used when entering a house or room,
passing in front of someone or leaving in the middle of a gathering.
Particles
A particle is a word that shows the relationship of a word, a phrase or a clause to the rest of the
sentence. Particles are an important part of Japanese sentence structure. They resemble English
prepositions in the way they connect words, but unlike English prepositions, which come before
nouns, Japanese particles always come after nouns. Some particles cannot be translated.
Click here to learn more about particles.
(a) De --- means or method, totalizing
The particle "de" is used to signify the means of an action. It is translated into "by," "by means of,"
or "with."
Koukubin de onegaishimasu.

Kuruma de gakkou ni ikimashita.

Please (send this) by air mail.

I went to school by car.

It is also used after a quantity noun to express "total."

Zenbu de 520 en desu.

The total is 520 yen.

(b) To --- and

The particle "to" connects nouns. The English equivalent is "and," though unlike English "to" can be
used only to connect nouns.
Hagaki to kitte o kudasai.
Please give me a postcard and a stamp.

Yoshio to Mari wa eiga ni ikimashita.

Yoshio and Mari went to a movie.

Particles
(a) O --- object marker
The particle "o" is placed after a noun, and indicates that the noun is the object.
Hagaki o kudasai.
Please give me a postcard.

Ringo o tabemashita.
I ate an apple.

(b) Ne --- conformation

The particle "ne" comes at the end of a sentence or phrase. It is similar to the English expression,

13

"you see?" or " isn't it?". It calls for the listener to agree with or confirm what the speaker has
said.
Kanada desu ne.

Atsui desu ne.

It is for Canada, isn't it?

It is hot, isn't it?

Numbers
Click the link to hear the pronunciation.
0
2
4
6
8
10

zero/rei
ni
shi/yon
roku
hachi
juu

1
3
5
7
9

ichi
san
go
shichi/nana
ku/kyuu

To form numbers from 11~19, start with "juu" (10) and then add the number you need.
11
12
13
19

(10+1)
(10+2)
(10+3)
(10+9)

juu-ichi
juu-ni
juu-san
juu-ku

Twenty is "nijuu" (2X10) and for twenty one, just add one.
20
21
22

nijuu
nijuu-ichi
nijuu-ni

30
31
32

sanjuu
sanjuu-ichi
sanjuu-ni

40
41
42

yonjuu
yonjuu-ichi
yonjuu-ni

More Numbers
With "hyaku" (100) and "sen" (1000), the pattern is basically same. However there are some
sound change occurred.
100
200
300
400
500
600

hyaku

nihyaku

sanbyaku

yonhyaku

gohyaku

roppyaku

1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000

sen

nisen

sanzen

yonsen

gosen

rokusen

14

700

nanahyaku

happyaku

kyuuhyaku

800
900

7000

nanasen

hassen

kyuusen

8000
9000

The Japanese uses 10,000 as a counting unit. Each unit of 10,000 is called "man." This continues
until 100,000,000 (ichioku).
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
10,000,000
100,000,000

ichiman

juuman

hyakuman

senman

ichioku

Click here for number sound files.

"Man" and "oku" follow a regular rule except for 10,000 and 100,000,000. They are always
"ichiman" and "ichioku" not just "man" and "oku." In most cases, the Japanese use the Arabic
(Western) numbers when they write horizontally.
Let's look at how to say these numbers.
45
132
3,687
94,256
285,719

yonjuu go
hyaku sanjuu ni
sanzen roppyaku hachijuu nana
kyuuman yonsen nihyaku gojuu roku
nijuuhachiman gosen nanahyaku juu kyu

Counters
The Japanese use a variety of counters to count objects, often on the basis of their shapes. They
are similar expressions to English's "sheets of" or "cups of." Click here to learn more about the
counters.
hon

mai

satsu

dai

hai

ko

nin

long, thin , narrow objects such as trees, pencils, bottles etc.

thin, flat objects such as paper, bills, tickets, plates etc.
bound objects such as books, magazines, notebooks etc.
mechanical objects such as appliances, vehicles etc.
liquid or dry measures such as glasses, cups, bowls etc.
small objects not in categories listed above
people

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hiki

small animal, fish, insects etc.

The counters basically attach directly to a number, though there are some irregular changes.
hon
hai
nin
hiki

ippon (1), sanbon (3), roppon (6), juppon (10)

ippai (1), sanbai (3), roppai (6), juppai (10)
hitori (1), futari (2)
ippiki (1), sanbiki (3), roppiki (6), juppiki (10)

A typical sentence pattern with counters is "noun + particle + a number, a counter (quantity) +
verb."
Kitte o san-mai kudasai.

Please give me three stamps.

Hon o ni-satsu kaimashita.

I bought two books.

Native Japanese Numbers

In Japanese there are two numerical system. One is the numbers you have already
learned,Chinese origin numbers, and the other is the native Japanese numbers. The native
Japanese numbers are limited to one through ten.
Click the link to hear the pronunciation.
1
3
5
7
9

hitotsu

mittsu

itsutsu

nanatsu

kokonotsu

2
4
6
8
10

futatsu

yottsu

muttsu

yattsu

too

Click here for more sound files.

For things which are not clearly categorized or which are shapeless (stones, boxes, stars, idea,
problem etc.), the native Japanese numbers are used.
Counting things can be done in two ways.
(1) Using the native Japanese number independently.
Hako o futatsu kaimashita.

Mondai ga hitotsu arimasu.

I bought two boxes.

There is one problem.

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(2) Using Chinese origin number combined with a counter.
Hon o san-satsu yomimashita.

Inu ga ni-hiki imasu.

I read three books.

There are two dogs.

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