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All Japanese activities

Activities: "Japanese counters for specific nouns: Which to use with what?"

By: Mayumi Ito

Activity 1: Count the nouns!

Are you a robot? Here is a new way to prove you are not! Look at the pictures and see if you can complete each challenge! The answer should be a combination of a number and a counter and spelled either in hiragana or romaji. Let’s show them you are a human!

  1. 椅子 transcribed isumeaning chair

    Six wooden chairs around a table.

    椅子があります。
    Isu ga arimasu.
    There are chairs.

  2. かもめ transcribed kamomemeaning seagull

    Four seagulls on a beach, flying above four beach chairs.

    かもめがいます。
    Kamome ga imasu.
    There are seagulls.

  3. 車 transcribed kurumameaning car

    Two cars, parallel parked in a line.

    車が駐車しています。
    Kuruma ga chūsha shite imasu.
    cars are parked.

  4. 本 transcribed honmeaning book

    Five antique books in a stack.

    本があります。
    Hon ga arimasu.
    There are books.

  5. 丸太小屋 transcribed marutagoyameaning log cabin

    A log cabin in the woods.

    丸太小屋が見えます。
    Marutagoya ga miemasu.
    I see log cabin.

  6. ビーチサンダル transcribed biichi sandarumeaning pair of flip flops

    Nine pairs of flip flops in different colors.

    ビーチサンダルがあります。
    Biichi sandaru ga arimasu.
    There are pairs of flip flops.

  7. くま transcribed kumameaning bear

    Three brown bears lined up in front of a lake.

    くまが並んでいます。
    Kuma ga narande imasu.
    There are bears lined up.

  8. 飛行機 transcribed hikōkimeaning airplane

    Eight airplanes in formation, releasing red, white, and blue trails.

    飛行機が飛んでいます。
    Hikōki ga tonde imasu.
    airplanes are flying.

Activity 2: Dialogues

Let’s complete the following short dialogues. For question words, use the counter-specific ones.

    • A:

      毎朝コーヒーを飲みますか。
      Maiasa kōhii o nomimasu ka.
      How many cups of coffee do you have every morning?

    • B:

      たいてい飲みます。
      Taitei nomimasu.
      I usually drink two cups.

    • A:

      家にコンピューターがありますか。
      Ie ni konpyūtū ga arimasu ka.
      How many computers are there in your house?

    • B:

      全部であります。
      Zenbu de arimasu.
      We have six in total.

    • A:

      夏休みに本を読みましたか。
      Natsuyasumi ni hon o yomimashita ka.
      How many books did you read during the summer break?

    • B:

      読みました。
      yomimashita.
      I read eight.

    • A:

      兄弟がいますか。
      Kyōdai ga imasu ka.
      How many siblings do you have?

    • B:

      います。兄がと妹がです。
      imasu. Ani ga to imōto ga desu.
      I have three. One elder brother and two younger sisters.

    • A:

      駅前にはホテルがぐらいありますか。
      Ekimae ni wa hoteru ga gurai arimasu ka.
      How many hotels are there in the station-front district?

    • B:

      そうですね・・・。たぶんぐらいでしょう。
      Sō desu ne…. Tabun gurai deshō.
      Let’s see…. Probably fifteen or so.

    • A:

      子猫が生まれたそうですね。生まれましたか。
      Koneko ga umareta so desu ne. umaremashita ka.
      I’ve heard that kittens have been born. How many?

    • B:

      生まれました。オスがとメスがです。
      umaremashita. Osu ga to mesu ga desu.
      Eleven. Five male and six female.

    • A:

      りっぱなマンションですね。まであるんですか。
      Rippana manshon desu ne. made aru ndesu ka.
      What a splendid condo you live in! How many floors does it have? literally Up to how many floors does it have?

    • B:

      まであります。僕の部屋はですけど。
      made arimasu. Boku no heya wa desu kedo.
      It has twenty seven floors. My room is on the third floor though.

Activity 3: Complete the sentences

You had a busy weekend! Complete the following sentences by using the clues given in the clue box.

Part 1: Garage sale

You went to a garage sale on Saturday morning. Tell us what you bought!
  • Clue Box

    Three 日記帳 transcribed nikkichōmeaning three journals

    Two スキージャケット transcribed sukii jakettomeaning two ski jackets

    One 机 transcribed tsukuemeaning desk

  • Vocabulary: ガレージセールで transcribed garēji sēru demeaning at the garage sale, 買いました transcribed kaimashitameaning I bought

  • ガレージセールで、、買いました。
    Garēji sēru de , , kaimashita.
    I bought three journals, two ski jackets, and one desk at the garage sale.

Part 2: Port

After the garage sale, you went to the port with your friends. Tell us what you saw!
  • Clue Box

    One シーカヤック transcribed shii kayakkumeaning sea kayak

    Two 大型客船 transcribed ōgata kyakusenmeaning large cruise ships

    Ten 観光バス transcribed kankō basumeaning sightseeing buses

  • Vocabulary: 港で transcribed minato demeaning at the port, 見ました transcribed mimashitameaning I saw

  • 港で、、見ました。
    Minato de , , mimashita.
    I saw one sea kayak, two large cruise ships, and ten sightseeing buses at the port.

Part 2: Counting sheep

My, you are tired after a long day of fun activities! However, you are too excited to fall asleep. You need to get up early tomorrow so that you can go hiking. Let’s calm your nerves by counting 羊 transcribed hitsujimeaning sheep!

  • 羊が、羊が、羊が、羊が…ZZZ…
    Hitsuji ga , hitsuji ga , hitsuji ga , hitsuji ga … zzz…
    One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep… zzz...

Bonus Point! Fill in the blank, based on your answer in Part 3 above. (Hint: how do you indicate the order when using the number + counter?)

  • A:

    きのうはの羊で寝ましたか。
    Kinō wa de nemashita ka.
    At which sheep did you fall asleep?

  • B:

    で寝ました。
    de nemashita.
    I fell asleep at the fourth.