Japanese Counting Words: How to Count Toys, People & Animals Correctly
In Japanese, you don’t just say a number—you pair it with a special “counter” word that fits what you’re counting. Learning the right counter turns “three cars” into くるまをさんこ and “two people” into ふたりにん. This guide shows children how to count toys, people, and animals step by step, with games to make practice fun.
Why Counters Matter in Japanese
Unlike English, Japanese uses 助数詞 (josūshi, counters) to categorize objects as you count. Counters appear after the number and change pronunciation in playful ways. Mastering just a few key counters helps kids speak correctly and feel confident naming quantities in everyday situations.
Counting Toys with ～つ and ～こ
For most small objects—like blocks, balls, or toy cars—use the general counter:
• ～つ (–tsu): Native Japanese counter for “things.”
1 — ひとつ (hitotsu, one thing)
2 — ふたつ (futatsu, two things)
3 — みっつ (mittsu, three things) (Tofugu)
• ～こ (–ko): Sino-Japanese counter for small, round objects.
1 — いっこ (ikko)
2 — にこ (niko)
3 — さんこ (sanko)
Tip: Let children hold up the correct number of toys and say 「ブロックをみっつ！」 (three blocks!) or point to each ball and chant 「たまごをさんこ！」 (three eggs!), reinforcing both number and counter together.
Counting People with ～人 (–nin)
Use ～人 (にん) for people—with a couple of pronunciation quirks:
1 — ひとり (hitori, one person)
2 — ふたり (futari, two people)
3 — さんにん (sannin, three people)
Have siblings line up and count off: 「ひとり… ふたり… さんにん…」, pointing to each child in turn.
Counting Animals with ～匹 (–hiki/–biki/–piki)
For small to medium animals, use ～匹:
1 — いっぴき (ippiki, one animal)
2 — にひき (nihiki, two animals)
3 — さんびき (sanbiki, three animals)
Use toy animals or pictures—「うさぎをさんびき！」 (three rabbits!)—to practice the sound changes and solidify the pattern.
Activities & Games
Toy Store Role-Play
Set up a “toy shop” with price tags showing numbers + counter (e.g., ブロック 5こ, five blocks). Children take turns “buying” items, saying 「これをごこください」 (I’d like five of these, please).
Animal Parade
Line up toy animals and assign each child a counter card (いっぴき, にひき, さんびき). Call out a number and kids race to pick the matching number of animals and shout the phrase—for example, 「さんびき！」
Practice Corner
Create a “Counter of the Day” display. Each morning, pick one counter (～つ, ～にん, or ～ひき) and challenge the family to use it five times—counting steps, people, or pets. Mark successes on a sticker chart.
After play, open Dinolingo for a counters review. A single family plan unlocks 50+ languages and 40 000+ bite-size activities—animated counter lessons, matching quizzes, and surprise badge rewards tailored to Pre-readers (2–5), Elementary (6–10), and Tween/Teen (11–14). Parents track progress on an ad-free dashboard.
Final Thoughts
With just three counters ～つ for things, ～人 for people, and ～匹 for animals kids can count almost anything in Japanese. Add hands-on games and daily practice with Dinolingo’s follow-ups, and your little learner will be confidently counting toys, people, and pets in Japanese in no time!
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