Counting Things in Japanese

Counters can be a little tricky, since you have to choose the counter that goes with the thing you are counting. Here are a few simple rules for counting in Japanese:

• To count long things, use ～ほん （～本）.
• To count flat things, use ～まい（～枚）.
• To count small animals, use ～ひき（～匹）.
• To count large animals, use ～とう（～頭）.
• To count machines or cars, use ～だい（～台）.
• To count small things you can hold in your hand, use ～こ（～個）.
• If all else fails (or you can't remember the correct counter), use ～つ.

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