助数詞 · counters
How to count floors of a building in Japanese
階 (かい)
Floors take 階 (かい). It sounds like 回, but three is さんがい, and the question is なんがい.
Floors: 階
| 1 | 1階 | いっかい |
| 2 | 2階 | にかい |
| 3 | 3階 | さんがい |
| 4 | 4階 | よんかい |
| 5 | 5階 | ごかい |
| 6 | 6階 | ろっかい |
| 7 | 7階 | ななかい |
| 8 | 8階 | はっかい |
| 9 | 9階 | きゅうかい |
| 10 | 10階 | じゅっかい |
Highlighted readings are the irregular ones.
How many?
Ask with 何階 (なんがい).
Japan counts the ground floor as 1階. Basements are 地下一階 (ちかいっかい).
Lifts and shops: 「何階ですか」, 「三階でございます」.
Examples
Tap a kanji for its reading.
- 私の部屋は三階です。My room is on the third floor.
- トイレは何階にありますか。Which floor is the toilet on?
- このビルは十階建てです。This is a ten-storey building.
- レストランは地下一階です。The restaurant is on the first basement floor.
Common mistakes
- ✗ さんかい (floor)✓ さんがいFloors soften after three, unlike 回.