助数詞 · counters
How to count books and magazines in Japanese
冊 (さつ)
Books, magazines and notebooks are counted with 冊 (さつ): いっさつ, にさつ, さんさつ. Not with 本, even though 本 means book.
Books: 冊
| 1 | 1冊 | いっさつ |
| 2 | 2冊 | にさつ |
| 3 | 3冊 | さんさつ |
| 4 | 4冊 | よんさつ |
| 5 | 5冊 | ごさつ |
| 6 | 6冊 | ろくさつ |
| 7 | 7冊 | ななさつ |
| 8 | 8冊 | はっさつ |
| 9 | 9冊 | きゅうさつ |
| 10 | 10冊 | じゅっさつ |
Highlighted readings are the irregular ones.
How many?
Ask with 何冊 (なんさつ).
1, 8 and 10 shrink before the さ sound: いっさつ, はっさつ, じゅっさつ. Six does not: ろくさつ.
The trap is 本: the noun means book, but the counter 本 is for long thin things. A book is 一冊.
Examples
Tap a kanji for its reading.
- 図書館で本を三冊借りました。I borrowed three books from the library.
- 毎月、雑誌を一冊買います。I buy one magazine a month.
- ノートを何冊持っていますか。How many notebooks do you have?
- 去年、小説を十冊読みました。I read ten novels last year.
Common mistakes
- ✗ 本を二本読みました。✓ 本を二冊読みました。Books are counted with 冊.
- ✗ ろっさつ✓ ろくさつSix only shrinks before k.