Alright, let’s talk about counting people and animals in Japanese—because yeah, it’s not the same as counting objects. Took me years of teaching to realize how many learners mess this up, and honestly? I’ve been there too.
Why This Matters
In Japanese, the counter words change depending on what you’re counting. People? Use ~人 (nin/jin). Animals? ~匹 (hiki). Forget this, and you might accidentally say “10 animals” when you mean “10 people” (awkward, trust me).
Counting People: 1–10
Here’s the kicker: the first two numbers are irregular. After that, it’s smooth sailing.
一人 (hitori) – One person
Casual: “パーティーに一人来た？” (Pātī ni hitori kita?) – “Only one person came to the party?”
Formal: 社員が一人います (Shain ga hitori imasu) – “There is one employee.”
二人 (futari) – Two people
Casual: “二人で行こう！” (Futari de ikō!) – “Let’s go together (just us two)!”
三人 (sannin) – Three people
四人 (yonin) – Four people
五人 (gonin) – Five people
Pro tip: “四人” is yonin, not shinin—a mistake even advanced students make.
6–10: 六人 (rokunin), 七人 (shichinin/nananin), 八人 (hachinin), 九人 (kyūnin), 十人 (jūnin)
Also read: How To Count Thin Object in Japanese ~mai
Counting Animals: 1–10
Now, animals use ~匹 (hiki), but pronunciation shifts for 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 due to rendaku (voicing).
一匹 (ippiki) – One animal
Casual: “猫が一匹いる” (Neko ga ippiki iru) – “There’s one cat.”
二匹 (nihiki) – Two animals
三匹 (sanbiki) – Three animals (not sanhiki!)
四匹 (yonhiki) – Four animals
五匹 (gohiki) – Five animals
6–10: 六匹 (roppiki), 七匹 (nanahiki/shichihiki), 八匹 (happiki/hachihiki), 九匹 (kyūhiki), 十匹 (juppiki/jippiki)
Fun fail: I once said “猫が三匹” as “sanhiki” mid-lesson. My student (a vet) immediately corrected me. Mortifying.
Also read: Numbers and Counting in Japanese
When to Use Which
People: Always ~人 (e.g., staff, friends, crowds).
Animals: ~匹 for small/medium creatures (cats, dogs, fish).
(Big animals like horses? Use ~頭 (tō)—but that’s another article.)
Real-Life Examples
At a Café:
“私たちは三人です” (Watashitachi wa sannin desu) – “We’re a group of three.”
Mistake to avoid: “三人匹” → Nope. That’s gibberish.
Pet Store:
“犬を二匹飼っています” (Inu o nihiki katte imasu) – “I have two dogs.”
Quick Tips
Irregulars drill: Practice hitori/futari and ippiki/sanbiki/roppiki daily. They’re the troublemakers.
Listen for pitch: “Hachihiki” vs. “Happiki” changes meaning (eight animals vs. “bee” in some dialects).
Final Thought: Mastering counters feels like unlocking a secret level in Japanese. Mess up? No sweat—even natives mix up 匹 and 人 sometimes. Keep it fun, and soon, counting will feel as natural as ordering ramen.
