general counter for things (one to ten)

The native numbers hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu and so on up to too count small objects when no specific counter applies. The quantity usually comes after the noun and its particle: ringo o futatsu kaimasu. Ikutsu asks how many in this series.

Examples

• りんごを二ふたつ買かいました。

  Ringo o futatsu kaimashita.

  I bought two apples.

• 机つくえの上うえにみかんが三みっつあります。

  Tsukue no ue ni mikan ga mittsu arimasu.

  There are three mandarins on the desk.

Vocabulary in these examples

• りんご apple
• 二 two
• 買う to buy
• 机 desk
• 上 above; on top
• みかん mandarin orange

Related patterns · Counters and numbers

• 〜人 / 〜枚 / 〜本 / 〜冊 / 〜匹 / 〜回 common counters: people, flat things, long things, books, animals, times