助数詞 · counters
How to count long, thin things in Japanese
本 (ほん)
Long, thin things take 本 (ほん): pens, bottles, umbrellas, trees, bananas, even trains and films. The sound changes to ぽん and ぼん.
Long, thin things: 本
| 1 | 1本 | いっぽん |
| 2 | 2本 | にほん |
| 3 | 3本 | さんぼん |
| 4 | 4本 | よんほん |
| 5 | 5本 | ごほん |
| 6 | 6本 | ろっぽん |
| 7 | 7本 | ななほん |
| 8 | 8本 | はっぽん |
| 9 | 9本 | きゅうほん |
| 10 | 10本 | じゅっぽん |
Highlighted readings are the irregular ones.
How many?
Ask with 何本 (なんぼん).
1, 6, 8 and 10 shrink and ほ becomes ぽ: いっぽん, ろっぽん, はっぽん, じゅっぽん. Three softens it: さんぼん. The rest stay ほん.
本 also counts things that are long in a less physical sense: phone calls (電話を一本), films, train services and goals in football.
Examples
Tap a kanji for its reading.
- ペンを一本貸してください。Could you lend me a pen?
- ビールを三本買いました。I bought three bottles of beer.
- 傘は何本ありますか。How many umbrellas are there?
- 庭に木が六本あります。There are six trees in the garden.
Common mistakes
- ✗ さんほん✓ さんぼんThree softens ほ to ぼ.
- ✗ なんほん✓ なんぼんThe question word softens too.