4.4 How to Count Small Items

When counting objects in Japanese, specific counters are applied based on the type of object being counted, unlike English which uses general numbers like ‘one’, ‘two’ and ‘three’. We have already explored the counter for school year levels in Module 3.5, which brings accuracy to counting.

In this module, we’re focusing on the counter つ (tsu), versatile for counting small objects, abstract ideas, ordinal numbers and even young children’s ages, among other things!

Here’s an interesting detail – when counting small items beyond 10 in Japanese, the つ counter is not used. Instead, you switch to the こ (ko) counter. While つ is great for general counting up to 10, こ is versatile and can count items from one to 10 and beyond. For example:

• For one to 10 items, you can use either:
  • One item: 一つ (hitotsu) or 一（いっ）こ (ikko)
  • Two items: 二つ (futatsu) or 二（に）こ (niko)
• For items above 10, you exclusively use ‘ko’:
  • 11 items: 十一（じゅういっ）こ (juu ikko)
  • 12 items: 十二（じゅうに）こ (juu ni ko)
  • 13 items: 十三（じゅうさん）こ (juu san ko)

And this pattern continues for higher numbers.