Page 276 - Basic Japanese

ichi ‘one’) plus a counter (like -mai, the counter for flat, thin

objects). You use simple numerals when you are talking
about figures in the abstract, as in an arithmetic problem,

where you are not counting anything in particular; you use
numbers when your figures apply to something more

definite, like a certain number of books, pencils, or people,
or a certain quantity of water, distance, time, or money. To

ask ‘how many…,’ you attach either iku- or (more often) nan-

to the counter, as in iku-tsu ‘how many pieces’ or nan-mai
‘how many sheets (of flat items).’

6.2. Other quantity words

In addition to numbers there are some other words that
indicate quantity or amount in a more general way. These
words are nouns but are often used as adverbs, just like the

numbers. Here are some you will find useful:

takusan lots, much, many

sukoshi a little, a few, a bit

ōzei many (used only for
people)

minna all, everything,
everybody

The word minna only has the meaning ‘everybody’ when

used as a noun with some particle: Minna ga kimashita
‘Everybody came’ or Minna kimashita ‘(They) all came.’ When

used as an adverb it means ‘all’ or ‘every’ and can refer to
people or things: Gakusei ga minna kimashita ‘The students all

came.’ Here are some examples of these words in
sentences: