ใใค
~tsu
Counting general objects.
๐ธ General Counter for Small Objects ๐ธ
๐ฌ Dialogue
Kyaku: Sumimasen, ringo o hitotsu kudasai.
Excuse me, one apple please.
Ten'in: Hai. Ringo o hitotsu desu ne.
Certainly. One apple, right?
Kyaku: Ato, mikan o futatsu kudasai.
Also, two mandarin oranges please.
Ten'in: Kashikomarimashita. Mikan o futatsu desu.
Understood. Two mandarin oranges.
Kyaku: Hanbฤgฤ o mittsu onegaishimasu.
Three hamburgers, please.
Ten'in: Hai, mittsu desu ne. Shลshล omachi kudasai.
Yes, three. Please wait a moment.
๐ Vocabulary
5 wordsโญ Key Sentence
[Object] o ~tsu kudasai.
Please give me [number] of [object].
- Pattern: [็ฉ] ใ [ๆฐ]ใค ใใ ใใใ
- Meaning: Please give me (number) of (item).
Tamago o yottsu kudasai.
Please give me four eggs.
Aisu o itsutsu kudasai.
Please give me five ice creams.
๐ Explanation
In Japanese, you cannot just use a number to count things. You must use a counter.
ใใค is the most versatile counter. It is used for general objects, small items, or things that don't have a specific counter (like ideas or orders).
Note that the pronunciation of numbers changes significantly when using this counter (e.g., 1 is hitotsu, 2 is futatsu). This counter only goes up to 10 (tล).
Ringo o hitotsu kudasai.
= 'One apple, please.'
Mikan o futatsu kudasai.
= 'Two oranges, please.'
๐ Quiz
How do you say 'Three objects' in Japanese?