You've already learned a fair number of different counters, and there are a lot more we haven't covered. In this lesson, we will learn to count with 〜つ, the general counter for physical objects. It can be used to count any material thing (with the exception of people), and therefore is useful if you don't know the specific counter for a type of object.
For example, while a specific counter word solely for chopsticks exists, it would be perfectly correct to use the general counter instead when you refer to some quantity of chopsticks.
This set of counters is highly irregular and requires a bit of memorization; however, the general counter is the most versatile and frequently used of all the counters, so learning it well is worth the trouble!
Below are some example sentences using this counter.
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| How many do you want? | いくつ ほしい です か？ikutsu hoshii desu ka? |
| I want three notebooksthings. | 三つ の ノート が ほしい です。mittsu no nooto ga hoshii desu. |
| Wanda has four carsthings. | ワンダー さん は 四つ の 車 が あります。wandaa san wa yottsu no kuruma ga arimasu. |
Note that if you do know the counter an object takes, it is always better to use the more specific counter. The sentences above actually sound a bit strange, because the counters they should take are commonly known. Don't worry, you will soon learn how to count notebooks and cars properly.
