Page 86 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

8 hachi-nin hachi-mei yat-tsu hap-pon
9 kyū-nin/ku-nin kyū-mei kokono-tsu kyū-hon
10 jū-nin jū-mei tō jup-pon/jip-pon

11 jū-ichi-nin jū-ichi-mei jū-ichi jū-ip-pon

12 nan-nin nan-mei ikutsu/o-ikutsu nan-bon

Other common classifiers include -ko for relatively small units, -mai for thin flat
objects, and -satsu for bound volumes such as books and magazines and -
hiki/piki/biki for small animals.
The classifier -ko is used for counting pieces—everything from pieces of cake
to apples to packets of sugar. The classifier -ko overlaps in many respects with -

tsu. One difference is that -tsu can be used for abstract things like ideas,
meetings, or items in a list, while -ko is used only for concrete items. Note that
the sound changes with certain numbers. The classifier for counting (small)
animals like dogs, cats, insects, fish, etc.is -hiki/piki/biki. This sound change of
/h-p-b/ is also used with the classifier -hon/pon/bon.

Pieces/lumps Flat objects Bound Small animals
volumes
1 ik-ko ichi-mai is-satsu ip-piki

2 ni-ko ni-mai ni-satsu ni-hiki
3 san-ko san-mai san-satsu san-biki

4 yon-ko yon-mai yon-satsu yon-hiki
5 go-ko go-mai go-satsu go-hiki

6 rok-ko roku-mai roku-satsu rop-piki
7 nana-ko nana-mai nana-satsu nana-hiki

8 hachi-ko/hak- hachi-mai has-satsu hap-piki/hachi-hiki
ko
9 kyū-ko kyū-mai kyū-satsu kyū-hiki

10 juk-ko jū-mai jus-satsu jup-piki

nan-ko nan-mai nan-satsu nan-biki

Expressing Quantities in Japanese

There are two kinds of quantity expressions in Japanese. One consists of a