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Question to Teacher: When do you use SATSU? How do you count animals?
Course 1 Lesson 11: Counting Things

LeeinNottingham

Post Date: 2004-05-03 03:51:38

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2004 Feb 03

Questions: 15
Comments: 34

Where is the さつ counter as mentioned in the なんまい counter section?
Which counter is used to count living animate objects?

Please advise,

Lee.

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YesJapan Teacher (Yuki)

Post Date: 2004-05-03 03:57:47

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2004 Mar 26

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The さつ (SATSU)�counter is mentioned in the まい (MAI)�counter section with the pictures of thin/flat things that require that counter.
For your reference,�さつ�counter is used�in the following way to count books, magazines, etc:

1 = いっさつ (ISSATSU = 1),�2 = にさつ (NISATSU), 3 = さんさつ (SANSATSU), 4 = よんさつ (YONSATSU), 5 = ごさつ (GOSATSU), 6 = ろくさつ (ROKUSATSU), 7 = ななさつ (NANASATSU), 8 = はっさつ (HASSATSU), 9 = きゅうさつ (KYUUSATSU), 10 = じゅっさつ (JUSSATSU).

As for the counter for�living animate objects�like animals, there are�three that are used commonly:

To count small animals like dogs and cats, ひき・びき・ぴき(HIKI/BIKI/PIKI)�is used.
To count large animals like elephants and lions, とう (TOU) is used.
To count birds and rabbits, わ (WA) is used.

Please don't be discouraged.....
This is one of those things that give Japanese learners a big headache.
It is crazy, but important for you to know.

GANBATTE KUDASAI!

Yuki @ YesJapan

Nulfrost

Post Date: 2004-05-16 09:48:38

member since
2004 Jan 02

Questions: 22
Comments: 45

Counters
Do ひき・びき・ぴき・とう・わ all get used in a similar fashion as the なんほん counter? In other words, do all the counters follow just about the same pattern, いくつ aside?

So, for example, would it be:

１＝　いっぴき
２＝　にひき
３＝　さんびき　etc.
１＝　いちとう
２＝　にとう
３＝　さんとう　etc.
１＝　いちわ
２＝　にわ
３＝　さんわ　etc.

YesJapan Teacher (Yuki)

Post Date: 2004-05-17 06:07:38

member since
2004 Mar 26

Questions: 0
Comments: 298

3 counters for animals
Yes, the HIKI counter follows the pattern of HON counter.� The TOU counter is more like the pattern of SATSU counter.� The WA counter is pretty simple.�
To count small animals:� 縺�縺｣縺ｴ縺�/IPPIKI(1)縲√↓縺ｲ縺�/NIHIKI�ｼ茨ｼ抵ｼ峨�√＆繧薙�ｳ縺�/SANBIKI�ｼ茨ｼ難ｼ峨�√ｈ繧薙�ｲ縺�/YONHIKI(4)縲√＃縺ｲ縺�/GOHIKI�ｼ茨ｼ包ｼ峨�√ｍ縺｣縺ｴ縺�/ROPPIKI�ｼ茨ｼ厄ｼ峨�√↑縺ｪ縺ｲ縺�/NANAHIKI�ｼ茨ｼ暦ｼ峨�√�ｯ縺｣縺ｴ縺�/HAPPIKI�ｼ茨ｼ假ｼ峨�√″繧�縺�縺ｲ縺�/KYUUHIKI�ｼ茨ｼ呻ｼ峨�√§繧�縺｣縺ｴ縺�/JUPPIKI�ｼ茨ｼ托ｼ撰ｼ�
To count large animals:� 縺�縺｣縺ｨ縺�/ITTOU�ｼ茨ｼ托ｼ峨�√↓縺ｨ縺�/NITOU�ｼ茨ｼ抵ｼ峨�√＆繧薙→縺�/SANTOU�ｼ茨ｼ難ｼ峨�√ｈ繧薙→縺�/YONTOU�ｼ茨ｼ費ｼ峨�√＃縺ｨ縺�/GOTOU�ｼ茨ｼ包ｼ峨�√ｍ縺上→縺�/ROKUTOU�ｼ茨ｼ厄ｼ峨�√↑縺ｪ縺ｨ縺�/NANATOU�ｼ茨ｼ暦ｼ峨�√�ｯ縺｣縺ｨ縺�/HATTOU�ｼ茨ｼ假ｼ峨�√″繧�縺�縺ｨ縺�/KYUUTOU�ｼ茨ｼ呻ｼ峨�√§繧�縺｣縺ｨ縺�/JUTTOU�ｼ茨ｼ托ｼ撰ｼ�
To count birds and rabbits:� 縺�縺｡繧�/ICHIWA�ｼ茨ｼ托ｼ峨�√↓繧�/NIWA�ｼ茨ｼ抵ｼ峨�√＆繧薙ｏ/SANWA�ｼ茨ｼ難ｼ峨�√ｈ繧薙ｏ/YONWA�ｼ茨ｼ費ｼ峨�√＃繧�/GOWA�ｼ茨ｼ包ｼ峨�√ｍ縺上ｏ/ROKUWA�ｼ茨ｼ厄ｼ峨�√↑縺ｪ繧�/NANAWA�ｼ茨ｼ暦ｼ峨�√�ｯ縺｡繧�/HACHIWA�ｼ茨ｼ假ｼ峨�√″繧�縺�繧�/KYUUWA�ｼ茨ｼ呻ｼ峨�√§繧�縺�繧�/JUUWA�ｼ茨ｼ托ｼ撰ｼ�
Yuki @ YesJapan

LeeinNottingham

Post Date: 2004-05-19 06:05:38

member since
2004 Feb 03

Questions: 15
Comments: 34

Thanks

So many counters.
I will get there I am sure.

many thanks,

Lee.