10 Japanese Words for Numbers and Quantities｜From Counting People to Objects
We've gathered 10 essential N5 words related to numbers and quantities used in daily life and travel in Japan.
You can learn counters and quantity expressions for various situations at once, including the number of people, floors, time, and objects.
Compare easily confused pronunciations and irregular readings to master them accurately.
How this bundle was curated
All items at a glance
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何人 | なんにん | How many people |
| 一人 | ひとり | One person |
| 二人 | ふたり | Two people |
| 何泊 | なんぱく | How many nights |
| 何時 | なんじ | What time |
| 何番 | なんばん | What number |
| 何階 | なんがい | What floor |
| 何枚 | なんまい | How many flat objects |
| いくつ | いくつ | How many (things) |
| 全部 | ぜんぶ | All / Everything |
Item by item
Reading: なんにん
How many people
Used to ask about the number of people. It is often used when asking about party size at a restaurant or the number of family members.
Reading: ひとり
One person
Be careful, as this is an irregular reading pronounced "hitori" instead of "ichinin."
Reading: ふたり
Two people
Read as "futari" instead of "ninin." One person and two people have completely unique native readings.
Reading: なんぱく
How many nights
Used when asking about the number of nights for a trip or hotel stay.
Reading: なんじ
What time
The most basic expression used to ask for the time.
Reading: なんばん
What number
Used to ask for a phone number, room number, or order/sequence.
Reading: なんがい
What floor
Used to ask for the floor of a building. In daily life, it is often pronounced with a voiced sound as "nangai."
Reading: なんまい
How many flat objects
Used to ask about the number of thin, flat objects like paper, t-shirts, or plates.
Reading: いくつ
How many (things)
A versatile native Japanese expression used to ask about the number of irregularly shaped objects or someone's age.
Reading: ぜんぶ
All / Everything
Means the total amount or everything combined. When saying "in total," you use "全部で (zenbu de)."
Practice with examples
How to decide when unsure
- When counting people, 1 person (一人, ひとり) and 2 people (二人, ふたり) are read completely irregularly, so it's best to memorize them separately. From 3 people onwards, you generally attach "にん (nin)" after the number (Exception: 4 people is よにん).
- It is common to use "枚 (mai)" when counting thin paper or plates, and "いくつ" when counting three-dimensional objects or things with ambiguous shapes.
Common mistakes
When saying 1 or 2 people, it is natural to use the native readings "hitori" and "futari" instead of the regular kanji number readings (ichi, ni).
Wrong example: いちにん/Correct example: ひとり
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the most natural way to say "Two people" to a server at a restaurant?
One-line summary
Words expressing numbers and quantities often have irregular pronunciations, but since they are used every day in daily life, practice saying them out loud until you get used to them.
FAQ
Is 何階 pronounced "nankai" or "nangai"?
The standard reading is "nangai." When the voiceless sound "ka" comes after "何 (nan)," sequential voicing (rendaku) often changes it to "ga." In actual conversation, it is almost always pronounced "nangai."
What is the difference between いくつ and 何個 (nanko)?
"いくつ" is a native Japanese counter used broadly to ask about the number of items or someone's age. "何個 (nanko)" is mainly used when counting small, three-dimensional objects. For beginners, it's recommended to learn the highly versatile "いくつ" first.
