Learn Japanese Japanese Counter Words Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student is describing a picture of their pets. They have two dogs and one cat. Which of the following sentences correctly describes the number of animals?
- 犬が二台と猫が一台います。
- 犬が二人と猫が一人います。
- 犬が二匹と猫が一匹います。 (Correct answer)
- 犬が二枚と猫が一枚います。
Correct answer: 犬が二匹と猫が一匹います。
The correct counter for small to medium-sized animals like dogs and cats is 匹 (hiki). 台 (dai) is for machines, 人 (nin/ri) is for people, and 枚 (mai) is for flat, thin objects.
Question 2: You are at a cafe and want to order three pens and two sheets of paper. Which combination of counters is the most appropriate for this order?
- 本 (hon) for pens and 冊 (satsu) for paper.
- 個 (ko) for pens and 本 (hon) for paper.
- 匹 (hiki) for pens and 台 (dai) for paper.
- 本 (hon) for pens and 枚 (mai) for paper. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 本 (hon) for pens and 枚 (mai) for paper.
The counter for long, cylindrical objects like pens is 本 (hon). The counter for thin, flat objects like sheets of paper is 枚 (mai). 冊 (satsu) is for bound volumes like books, 個 (ko) is a general counter for small items, 匹 (hiki) is for small animals, and 台 (dai) is for machines.
Question 3: Which of the following items would be counted using the counter 台 (dai)?
- Oranges
- Televisions (Correct answer)
- Books
- Shirts
Correct answer: Televisions
The counter 台 (dai) is used for machines, vehicles, and large household appliances. Televisions fall into this category. Oranges would be counted with 個 (ko) or つ (tsu). Books are counted with 冊 (satsu). Shirts are counted with 枚 (mai).
Question 4: When counting three long, thin objects like bottles or pencils, the counter 本 is used. What is the correct pronunciation for 三本?
- さんほん (san-hon)
- さんぼん (san-bon) (Correct answer)
- さんぽん (san-pon)
- みつほん (mitsu-hon)
Correct answer: さんぼん (san-bon)
The counter 本 (hon) undergoes sound changes (rendaku) depending on the number preceding it. For the number three (三), the pronunciation changes from 'hon' to 'bon', resulting in さんぼん (san-bon).
Question 5: A restaurant host asks your group, 「何名様ですか？」 (nan-mei-sama desu ka? - How many people are in your party?). If there are four people, what is the most appropriate and polite way to respond?
- よっつです (yottsu desu)
- よにんです (yonin desu) (Correct answer)
- よんひきです (yon-hiki desu)
- よんだいです (yon-dai desu)
Correct answer: よにんです (yonin desu)
The standard counter for people is 人, which is pronounced にん (nin) for the number four. While 名 (mei) is a very polite counter often used by staff, customers typically respond with the standard 人 (nin) counter. よっつ (yottsu) is a general counter, ひき (hiki) is for animals, and だい (dai) is for machines.
Question 6: If you don't know the specific counter for an object, or for counting general items up to ten, which of the following counter series is the most appropriate to use?
- 一個 (ikko), 二個 (niko), 三個 (sanko)...
- 一台 (ichidai), 二台 (nidai), 三台 (sandai)...
- 一枚 (ichimai), 二枚 (nimai), 三枚 (sanmai)...
- 一つ (hitotsu), 二つ (futatsu), 三つ (mittsu)... (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 一つ (hitotsu), 二つ (futatsu), 三つ (mittsu)...
The native Japanese counting system using つ (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, etc.) is a general-purpose counter that can be used for many objects when the specific counter is unknown, especially for quantities from one to ten. While 個 (ko) is also a very general counter, the つ series is considered the primary 'catch-all' counter.
Learn Japanese Japanese Counter Words Questions and Answers
A student is describing a picture of their pets.
They have two dogs and one cat.
Which of the following sentences correctly describes the number of animals?