1. Stating Your Age Counters Using a Number Phrase in a Sentence Using takusan and sukoshi to Express Quantity Question Words with Counters Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20121 Class Session 8a Chapter 5

2. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20122 Stating Your Age To ask someone’s age: nan-sai desu ka.(nan-sai, what age? How old?) o-ikutsu desu ka. (more polite)(ikutsu, how many? how old?) To say your age, add the counter sai after the number: ni-jū-sai desu.( 二十歳, hatachi) (I am) 20. ni-jū-go-sai desu. (I am) 25.

3. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20123 Counters The Japanese use a complicated counter system for enumerating things (similar to the use of counters in English: a herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a gaggle of geese) The counter system was borrowed from Chinese, along with the numbers There is a different counter that varies according to the size, shape and type of item being counted There are about 240 different counters for things Some of the counters cause minor sound changes or exceptional pronunciations This lesson introduces several common counters mai – for counting flat things (sheets of paper, tickets, towels, etc. hon – for long cylindrical things (pens, bananas, cigarettes, bottles of beer, etc.) nin – for people tsu – for medium-size items 1 ----------------------------------------------- 1 This is an unusual treatment of native Japanese numbers

4. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20124 Counters - Form and Pronunciation (p81 of textbook) Number Flat Item Cylindrical Item People Medium-size Items 1 1 ichi-mai ip-pon hito-ri hito-tsu 2 ni-mai ni-hon futa-ri futa-tsu 3 san-mai san-bon san-nin mit-tsu 4 yon-mai yon-hon yon-nin yot-tsu 5 go-mai go-hon go-nin itsu-tsu 6 roku-mai rop-pon roku-nin mut-tsu 7 shichi-mai nana-hon shichi-nin nana-tsu 8 hachi-mai hap-pon hachi-nin yat-tsu 9 kyū-mai kyū-hon kyū-nin kokono-tsu 10 jū-mai jup-pon jū-nin tō ------------------------------------------- 1 These are really the native Japanese words for the numbers 1-10.

5. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20125 Using a Number Phrase in a Sentence When using a number phrase in a sentence, place it after the item (and particle) the number refers to: watashi wa ane ga futa-ri imasu. I have two older sisters. watashi wa ane ga futari to, ani ga hito-ri to, otōto ga hito-ri imasu. I have two older sisters, one older brother, and one younger brother. When using the –tsu counters (native Japanese numbers), there are two ways to express the number of things : enpitsu ga futatsu arimasu.There are two pencils. futatsu no enpitsu ga arimasu.There are two pencils. You can always use this method if you do not know the counter word

6. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20126 Using takusan and sukoshi to Express Quantity (pp82-83) Instead of using a number phrase there are two words you can use to express both amount and quantity for both countable and uncountable items: takusan (a large amount, a large quantity) sukoshi (a small amount, small quantity) Place the word where you would normally see the number Examples: kukkii ga takusan arimasu. kēki mo sukoshi arimasu. There are a lot of cookies. There are some cakes too. watashi wa chūgoku-jin no tomodachi ga takusan imasu. I have many Chinese friends. kankoku-jin no tomodachi mo sukoshi imasu. I also have some Korean friends. sūgaku no shukudai ga takusan arimasu. eigo no shukudai mo sukoshi arimasu. I have a lot of math homework. I also have some English homework.

7. Japanese 1100-L08a-07-08-20127 Question Words with Counters To ask the quantity or amount of some items, you can use the question word nan (from nani) with the appropriate counter: nan-maihow many (flat items)? nan-bonhow many (cylindrical items)? nan-ninhow many (people)? iku-tsuhow many? Examples: kono hako no naka ni origami ga nan-mai arimasu ka. How many sheets of orgiami paper are there in this box? gakusei ga nan-ni imasu ka. How many students are there? kyō wa kurasu ga ikutsu arimasu ka. How many classes do you have today?