Japanese counter word

Japanese Nominal Structure as proposed by Akira Watanabe

One proposed structure includes three layers of functional projections: #P, CaseP, and QuantifierP.[2] Here, #P is placed above NP to explain Japanese's lack of plural morphology, and to make clear the # head is the stem of such morphology.[2] This structure relies on Movement in order to satisfy agreement via EPP features.[2]

In Japanese, virtually all nouns must use a counter to express number because Japanese lacks singular/plural morphology.[3][2] In this sense, virtually all Japanese nouns are mass nouns. This grammatical feature can result in situations where one is unable to express the number of a particular object in a syntactically correct way because one does not know, or cannot remember, the appropriate counting word. With quantities from one to ten, this problem can often be sidestepped by using the traditional numbers (see below), which can quantify many nouns without help. For example, "four apples" is りんご四個 ringo yonko where 個 ko is the counter, but can also be expressed, using the traditional numeral four, as りんご四つ ringo yottsu. These traditional numerals cannot be used to count all nouns, however; some, including nouns for people and animals, require a proper counter (except for 1 and 2 people, which virtually always use the traditional numerals).

Some of the more common counters may substitute for less common ones. For example, 匹 hiki (see below) is often used for all animals, regardless of size. However, many speakers will prefer to use the traditionally correct counter, 頭 tō, when speaking of larger animals such as horses. This yields a range of possible counters, with differing degrees of usage and acceptability – for example, when ordering kushikatsu (fried skewers), one may order them as 二串 futa-kushi (two skewers), 二本 ni-hon (two sticks), or 二つ futa-tsu (two items), in decreasing order of precision.

Counters may be intentionally misused for humorous, stupid, or insulting effects. For example, one might say 男一匹 Otoko ippiki ("one man [like an animal]"), using 匹 hiki, the counter for animals.

This is a selective list of some of the more commonly used counting words.

This list also includes some counters and usages that are rarely used or not widely known; other words can also be used as counters more sporadically.

Systematic changes occur when particular numbers precede counters that begin with certain phonemes. For example, 一 ichi + 回 kai → 一回 ikkai. The details are listed in the table below.

This can be the result of the morpho-phonological phenomenon of word-internal voicing, or 'rendaku,[5]' as shown by the voicing of 匹 hiki:

六 + 匹 → 六匹

roku + hiki → roppiki

six-small.animal.count

change from voiceless [h] → voiced [p].

It may also be that some counters carry features which are responsible for such euphonic changes for singular, dual, and plural nouns, where singular carries [+singular, -augmented] features, dual carries [-singular, -augmented] features, and plural carries [-singular, +augmented] features.[6]

一人

hito-ri

one-person.count

二人

futa-ri

two-person.count

三人

san-nin

three-person.count

These changes are followed fairly consistently but exceptions and variations between speakers do exist. Where variations are common, more than one alternative is listed.

Jū is replaced by either ju- or ji- (じゅっ/じっ) followed by a doubled consonant before the voiceless consonants as shown in the table. Ji- is the older form, but it has been replaced by ju- in the speech of recent generations.

* But when counting number of days rather than days of the month, ichinichi is used. Ippi is also heard.

** Both 幾人 ikunin and 何人 nannin are used to mean "how many people".

*** In remote rural areas (e.g. Northern Honshu and Eastern Hokkaido) older speakers might use yottari.[7]

• Japanese numerals
• Japanese units of measurement
• Measure words
• Chinese classifier

• About.com - Counters
• A list of numeral counters with ichi/hito set indicated.