Episode 53
Time & Counter Expressions
Learn the native Japanese counter つ — usable for almost any object — and how to ask what time something happens. One episode, two tools that unlock daily conversation.
Japanese has a counter for almost everything — long thin things, flat things, people, small animals. But before all that, there is a generic native counter that works for almost any object. Once you know 一つ, 二つ, 三つ, 四つ, 五つ, you can count most things in daily life without needing a specific counter at all.
What You'll Learn#
Politely request a counted quantity of something. The counter follows を and precedes ください.
りんごを一つください (one apple please), コーヒーを二つください (two coffees please)
Asks 'at what time do you [verb]?' The particle に marks time just as it marks location.
何時に寝ますか (what time do you go to bed?), 何時に起きますか (what time do you get up?)
Native counter series (generic — works for almost any countable object):
| Counter | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一つ | ひとつ | one thing |
| 二つ | ふたつ | two things |
| 三つ | みっつ | three things |
| 四つ | よっつ | four things |
| 五つ | いつつ | five things |
New vocabulary:
- 一つ (ひとつ) — one thing
- 二つ (ふたつ) — two things
- 三つ (みっつ) — three things
- 四つ (よっつ) — four things
- 五つ (いつつ) — five things
- 何時 (なんじ) — what time
- りんご — apple
- コーヒー — coffee
The Escape Hatch Counter#
Japanese counters encode how the language sees the world. Long thin things get 本 (a river, a pencil, a bottle of beer). Flat things get 枚 (a sheet of paper, a shirt, a ticket). People get 人. Small animals get 匹.
Memorising all of these takes time. So Japanese gives beginners a practical shortcut: the native counter series ending in つ. This series predates the Chinese-origin number system that most Japanese numbers come from. When you don't know the specific counter for something, つ works. Native speakers understand, and you will not sound rude.
The つ counter is the sound of "one of that thing", "two of that thing" — generic and broadly applicable. It is a real tool in daily conversation, not just a beginner crutch.
Lesson Transcript#
Flash Review#
Three rapid-fire callbacks from episodes 49–51:
- めまいがします — I feel dizzy.
- 食事のあとで散歩します — I take a walk after a meal.
- 友達と話します — I talk with friends.
The Counter Chant#
The five native counters, one by one. Each one ends in the same sound:
one thing
一つ
一つ
two things
二つ
二つ
three things
三つ
三つ
four things
四つ
四つ
five things
五つ
五つ
Counters in Real Sentences#
The structure for a shopping request: object + を + counter + ください
One apple please.
りんごを一つください。
りんごを一つください。
Two apples.
りんごを二つ
りんごを二つ
Time Expressions — 何時に#
The question word 何時 means "what time". Pair it with に to ask when something happens.
What time do you go to bed?
何時に寝ますか。
何時に寝る？
What time do you get up?
何時に起きますか。
何時に起きる?
Listener Production#
You are at a coffee shop. The server asks what you would like.
How do you say "two coffees please"?
- コーヒー — coffee
- 二つ — two things
- ください — please give me
Two coffees please.
コーヒーを二つください。
コーヒーを二つください。
Specific Counters at a Glance#
You don't need to produce these today — just see how the system works:
| Counter | For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 本 (ほん) | long thin things | 三本のペン (three pens) |
| 枚 (まい) | flat things | 二枚の紙 (two sheets of paper) |
| 人 (にん/り) | people | 三人 (three people) |
| 匹 (ひき) | small animals | 一匹の猫 (one cat) |
| つ | almost anything | 二つのりんご (two apples) |
The つ counter is the safety net. When in doubt, use it.
Key Takeaway#
Key Takeaway
The native Japanese counter series — 一つ, 二つ, 三つ, 四つ, 五つ — ends in つ and works for almost any countable object. Use it whenever you don't know the specific counter. For requests: object + を + counter + ください. For time questions: 何時に + verb + か.
Related Grammar#
- The Location & Time Particle に — に marks time in 何時に, the same way it marks location
- Please — ～てください — ください for polite requests appears in counter sentences too
- Frequency & Degree Adverbs — coming next: いつも, よく, たまに, ぜんぜん
Practice counting in Japanese
Use counters in real sentences and get AI feedback on every attempt — start with りんごを一つください.
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