Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test
ategory/personal-
ategory/tips/)
ategory/tools-
(http://www.passjapanesetest.com/)
HELPING YOU PASS THE JLPT
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 1 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
Studying for the JLPT N5 and confused by how to read the different counters? Is 6個 read as ろくこ
or ろっこ? I’ve summarized all the counters you are likely to see on the JLPT N5 below.
This is the complete guide–or the most complete one on the internet (Please use the contact form
(http://wwww.passjapanesetest.com/contact) to let me know if anything is missing)–to the counters
you are likely to encounter on the JLPT N5.
Bonus Content
Bonus content usually comes at the end, so it might seem weird to have it come Nrst. But this is, in
my mind, the most useful content in this entire article.
A good review is to look at each alternate reading and name at least one counter that uses it. Ex.: One
alternate reading for 1 is ひと. This is used in the counter for people: 1人 (ひとり).
1 いち いっ、ひと、ついたち*
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 2 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
2 に ふた、ふつ
3 さん みっ
4 よん し、よ、よっ
5 ご いつ
6 ろく ろっ、むっ、むい
7 なな しち、なの
8 はち はっ、やっ、よう
9 きゅう く、ここの
10 じゅう じゅっ、とう
*: 1日 (ついたち)
Bonus: 14
Many Japanese textbooks pay special attention to 14 because it often has an irregular reading. I don’t
because it is mostly unnecessary memorization.
In general, the reading for 14 (or 24, etc.) can be derived by using the same reading as 4.
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 3 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
JLPT N5 Counters
The tables below present the readings for 1-10 for each counter. I have highlighted in red places
where the counter differs from the basic reading as deNned in the bonus content above.
Some counters have multiple possible readings. Ex. 8階 is read as both はちかい and はっかい. I have
given what I feel is the reading most used in daily life (in Tokyo). JLPT multiple choice questions are
unlikely to ask you to choose between two readings such as はちかい and はっかい because they are
both correct. The listening section will probably use what the test creators feel is the most popular
standard reading (i.e. most common in daily life).
Time
しゅうかん じ じかん ぷん
∼週 間 ∼時 ∼時間 ∼分
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 4 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
がつ げつ か かかん
∼月 ∼ヵ月 ∼日 ∼日間
Months of the Year Period of Months Day of the Month, Number of Days Period of Days
(ex. January) (ex. May 1st, 7 Days)
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 5 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
∼日 vs. ∼日間
First off ∼日 can refer to the days of the month. So the date June 7th would be 6月7日.
Then, ∼日 indicates the number of days, but ∼日間 indicates a period of days. This difference can be
confusing without an example. How many days are in a week? The obvious answer is 7 days. Let’s
think about that in Japanese. 「1週間は7日です。」 means that there are 7 days in a week. On the
other hand, 「1週間は7日間です。」 means that a week is 7 days long. The Nrst sentence indicates
the number of days and the second indicates the period of time in days.
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 6 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
Objects
つ こ まい だい
∼つ ∼個 ∼枚 ∼台
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 7 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
さつ ほん はい かい
∼冊 ∼本 ∼杯 ∼階
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 8 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
えん
∼円
Yen
1 いちえん
2 にえん
3 さんえん
4 よえん
5 ごえん
6 ろくえん
7 ななえん
8 はちえん
9 きゅうえん
10 じゅうえん
? なんえん
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 9 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
People, Animals
にん ひき さい
∼人 ∼匹 ∼歳
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 10 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 11 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
ばん かい ど
∼番 ∼回 ∼度
2 にばん にかい にど
5 ごばん ごかい ごど
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 12 of 13
Complete JLPT N5 Counters - Pass Japanese Test 9/28/23, 3:51 PM
Previous
Next
http://www.passjapanesetest.com/complete-jlpt-n5-counters/ Page 13 of 13