Help with counters.

[Renka09]

Okay, I got things like these:

When counting on machines we use 台, right?

When it comes to people, we use 人

For flat objects, 枚

This is the case, I know how to count up to 10 using these three counters, but what if I'll go up to 11 and above? kindly help me guys?

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Renka09

Okay, I got things like these:

When counting on machines we use 台, right?

When it comes to people, we use 人

For flat objects, 枚

This is the case, I know how to count up to 10 using these three counters, but what if I'll go up to 11 and above? kindly help me guys?

11枚, for example. Or 12231人.

And here's a list of counters: Japanese counter word - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Renka09]

Hahaha!

Well, sorry if I didn't asked it precisely, I mean, how do you pronounce it? when I see two people, I'll say ふたり, right? but what if I have 22 people in front of me?

EDIT:

That cracks me up now, さんじゅにん, is this a correct one?

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Renka09

Hahaha!

Well, sorry if I didn't asked it precisely, I mean, how do you pronounce it? when I see two people, I'll say ふたり, right? but what if I have 22 people in front of me?

Say 22 in Japanese, then add にん (the counter for people).

[Renka09]

Thanks, I'm having a hard time, since this is my first day encounter with these, I never thought that they have different numbering systems regarding things, unlike in the west, they just count one, two and three, but here there are things like, hitori, futari, then sannin for persons, then another different system for other subjects.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Renka09

Thanks, I'm having a hard time, since this is my first day encounter with these, I never thought that they have different numbering systems regarding things, unlike in the west, they just count one, two and three, but here there are things like, hitori, futari, then sannin for persons, then another different system for other subjects.

Just keep at it. Read the Wikipedia article. It's pretty good. Counters are pretty easy once you get the hang of them. The only tough part is that there are so many. But so many are used rarely, which is frustrating when trying to learn and apply them.

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by Renka09

That cracks me up now, さんじゅにん, is this a correct one?

No. It's さんじゅうにん.

[berrypie]

The most difficult counting problem I have so far is the sheep counting problem

The counter for animals is 匹（ひき）, but sometime it is also pronounced as びき, or even　ぴき.... could someone tell me which is which? (I just know the first one is 一匹（いっぴき）).

I'm gonna kill the sheeps before I fall intso asleep........... I read the wiki link that KyleGoetz has posted - only 3, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 and 何are using the p-sound. It seems so random to me.

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by berrypie

The most difficult counting problem I have so far is the sheep counting problem

ベリーちゃん超カワイイ！

The counter for animals is 匹（ひき）, but sometime it is also pronounced as びき, or even　ぴき.... could someone tell me which is which? (I just know the first one is 一匹（いっぴき）).

Read the following many times aloud. Do it silently, and you won't ever remember it.

いっぴき、にひき、さんびき、よんひき、ごひき

ろっぴき、ななひき、はっぴき、きゅうひき、じゅっぴ き

[duo797]

:P What threw me off more just yesterday was that 3 minutes is さんぷん and not さんぶん ^^; I forgot about 分 as ぶん so I just did the normal sound change with an 'h' after 3. Luckily, pretty every other 'h' counter I've come across has the same sound changes.