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<p>
	Counters are suffixes that combine with numbers when different things are counted.
	Unlike in English, where the thing you are counting directly follows the number (e.g. 25 pencils),
	in Japanese there are dozens of different counter words for this purpose.  
	In this lesson we introduce the counter <strong><ruby>人nin</ruby></strong> used for counting numbers of people.　
</p>

<p>
	Counter words directly follow the number of the thing you are counting.
	For example, <strong>200 people</strong> is written <strong>200<ruby>人nin</ruby></strong>.
	Counters tend to contain irregularities in the way they are pronounced for certain numbers. 
	For <strong><ruby>人nin</ruby></strong> there are four irregularities.
	They are for the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 7, as shown in the table below.
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="25254"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27145"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27146"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27147"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27148"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27149"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27150"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27151"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27152"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27153"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	Below are some example sentences to show you how counters are used in context.
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="27067"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27068"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27155"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
    Note how in this last sentence the particle <strong>で</strong> is used to indicate the way something is done.
    The way we were watching television was by <strong>the two of us</strong>, namely <strong>together</strong>.
</p>

Introduction to counters

<p>
	There are multiple ways to make a sentence negative in Japanese, depending on the politeness of your speech.
	In the beginning of this course we will only focus on <strong>neutral</strong> speech, which is polite enough for most situations.
	This is more polite than <strong>casual</strong> speech, and less polite than <strong>formal</strong> speech.
	You will learn the other forms in later lessons.
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="24845"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	Study the table below.
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="24846"></tr>
		<tr data-item="24854"></tr>
		<tr data-item="24855"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	In the question and the responses in the table, note that in the case of a negative question, Japanese speakers say <strong>yes</strong> to affirm that the situation in the question is the case, that it is indeed not a dog.
	By responding with <strong>no</strong>, you deny that the situation the question describes is the case.
</p>

<p>
	This is the opposite of how English speakers use <strong>yes</strong> and <strong>no</strong>, so it can be quite confusing.
	However, when you think about it, the Japanese way is actually more logical.
</p>

Negating nouns

hiragana character

kanji

adnominal

adverb

auxiliary

conjunction

compound

i-adjective

interjection

noun

na-adjective

numeral

particle

case particle

conjunctive particle

discourse particle

prefix

pronoun

suffix

verb

sentence

hiragana writing

kanji writing

kanji component

reading vocabulary

katakana writing

katakana character

godan - group 1

itidan - group 2

group 3

transitive

intransitive

proper noun

discourse

phrase

expression

adjectival noun

adverbial phrase

adjectival phrase

The verb to be

Hiragana 1

Kanji 1

Writing hiragana 1

Writing kanji 1

Hiragana 2

Kanji 2

The question particle か

Writing hiragana 2

This one and that one

Writing kanji 2

Reading exercise 1

Reading exercise 2

Hiragana 3

Writing hiragana 3

The topic particle は

Kanji 3

The possession particle の

い-adjectives and な-adjectives

The subject particle が

Here and there

There is, there are

Writing kanji 3

Kanji 4

Group 1 verbs, direct and indirect objects

Group 2 verbs

Hiragana 4

Verbs in the past tense

Negating verbs

Invitations and the particle と

Negating past verbs

Writing hiragana 4

Reading exercise 3

Writing kanji 4

Reading exercise 4

Kanji 5

Nouns and the past tense

This and that

The group 3 verbs する and 来る

The discourse particles ね and よ

The location particles に and で

Hiragana 5

Writing hiragana 5

Writing kanji 5

The destination particles に and へ

Kanji 6

The origin particle から

Hiragana 6

Relative positions

Conjugating い-adjectives

Writing hiragana 6

Writing kanji 6

Hiragana 7

Writing hiragana 7

Kanji 7

Conjugating な-adjectives

How are you?

The particle も

The word ちょっと

Question	Answer
two people	二ふた人りfutari
people counter	〜人にん〜nin
three people	三さん人にんsannin
four people	四よ人にんyonin
five people	五ご人にんgonin
six people	六ろく人にんrokunin
seven people	七しち人にんshichinin
eight people	八はち人にんhachinin
nine people	九きゅう人にんkyuunin
we	私わたしたちwatashitachi
There are nine of us.	私わたしたち　は　九きゅう人にん　です。watashitachi wa kyuunin desu.
ten people	十じゅう人にんjuunin
how many people	何なん人にんnannin
How many people were there?	何なん人にん　が　いました　か？nannin ga imashita ka?
The two of us watched TV together.	私わたしたち　は　二ふた人り　で　テレビ　を　見みました。watashitachi wa futari de terebi o mimashita.

Japanese 73 - Introduction to counters

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