500 Counting and Counters
Category Archives: 501 Counters
501 Fans せんす
いっぽん、 にほん。。。
one fan, two fans…
As fans are flat when open, one could expect them to be counted as まい. However, in Japanese the fan is seen as a slightly different sort of cultural object; when closed it is more like a stick, so the counter for fans is ほん. ほん is the counter also for umbrellas, for bottles, for trees, for a stick-looking object. The sound changes depending on the number of items, so take care.
いっぽんの せんす
one fan
にほんの せんす
two fans
さんぼんの せんす
three fans
add one more and we have:
よんほんの せんす
four fans
ごほんの せんす
five fans
and a sixer:
ろっぽんの せんす
six fans
add one more and we have:
501 Old maps 古い地図 ふるいちず
Maps or ちず are counted as
flat objects with the counter まい
This map shows the name Yesso (Yezo is the old name for Hokkaido), but the shape just is not there. They had no idea what the island looked like, or that it was even an island. Korea was a bit of a mystery as well.The Chinese Ocean is of course the Sea of Japan. The shape of Honshu is not quite correct and islands have appeared. Just remember that they didn’t have air-planes, or satellites 400 years ago.
one map = いちまいの ちず
This is a more realistic map of Southern Japan – Kyushu.
two maps = にまいの ちず
This map of Asia shows some of the correct outlines, but the large bear in silk clothes represents Russia. The idea of a political threat is shown; Russia versus other countries with the Unites States looking on. Poor Great Britain with Ireland have been largely munted in the process.
three maps = さんまいの ちず
This map shows quite a different approach. It is a relatively clear three-dimensional map of Kyushu, which shows where the various clans lived. The map is more about relationships and situations.
four maps = よんまいの ちず
Many geographical details on the map are incorrect – probably not known, but the map tries very hard to make the idea of a globe very clear. The idea of a globe was relatively new and certainly against Roman Catholic Church teaching in those days. Most people still thought they lived on a Flat Earth.
five maps = ごまいの ちず
six maps = ろくまいの ちず
seven maps = ななまいの ちず
This most unrealistic map of Eastern Asia, Siberia and Japan shows that the largest area is Tartaria, which was at the time the largest part of Siberian Russia (These days Kazakhstan). Japan was no more than a small number of islands bobbing off the eastern coast. America was beyond there: it was big, but too far. It was way yonder.
eight maps = はちまいの ちず
nine maps = きゅうまいの ちず
ten maps = じゅうまいの ちず
This is a realistic map of Japan as we would recognise it these days. We have planes and satellites to help us, not to forget computers.
eleven maps = じゅういちまいの ちず
301 501 How many people? 何人ですか なんにんですか
一人の日本人
ひとりの にほんじん
one Japanese person
二人のお母さん
ふたりの おかあさん
two mums
三人の女の人
さんにんの おんなのひと
three women
四人の女の子
よにんの おんなのこ
four girls
五人の家族
ごにんの かぞく
five family members
六人の友だち
ろくにんの ともだち
six friends
七人の大学生
しちにんの だいがくせい
seven university students
八人の侍
はちにんの さむらい
eight samurai
九人の かぶきスター
きゅうにんの かぶきスター
nine kabuki stars
十人の六年生
じゅうにんの ろくねんせい
ten 6th grade primary school students
501 Zabuton 座布団 ざぶとん
よんまいのざぶとん
yonmai no zabuton
four zabuton cushions
よんまいの ざぶとん
yonmai no zabuton
four zabuton cushions
じゅうまいの ざぶとん
jūmai no zabuton
ten zabuton cushions
にまいの ざぶとん
nimai no zabuton
two zabuton cushions
よんまいの ざぶとん
yonmai no zabuton
four zabuton cushions
にまいの ざぶとん
nimai no zabuton
two zabuton cushions
いちまいの ざぶとん
ichimai no zabuton
one zabuton cushion
いちまいの ドーナツ
ichimai no dōnatsu
one doughnut (cushion)
ろくまいの ざぶとん
rokumai no zabuton
six zabuton cushions
いちまいの ざぶとん
ichimai no zabuton
one zabuton cushion
ごまいの ざぶとんの いす
gomai no zabuton no isu
five zabuton cushions chair
なんまいもの ざぶとんの カバー
nanmai no zabuton no kabaa
how ever many cushion covers
いちまいの ざぶとんに すわっています
ichimai no zabuton ni suwatte imasu
sitting on one cushion
funny
いちまい!
ichimai!
one!
a rakugo story teller
ざぶとんに すわっています
zabuton ni suwatte imasu
sitting on a cushion
smart cat
さんまいの ざぶとん
sanmai no zabuton
three cushions
pup is still learning…
いちまいの ざぶとんを さがしています
ichimai no zabuton o sagashite imasu
looking for one cushion
old dog, old trick
にまいの ざぶとんに ねています
nimai no zabuton ni nete imasu
sleeping on two cushions
musical cushions!
なんまいも!
nanmai mo!
how ever many!
oh, what fun – anyone can play!
じゅうさんまいの ざぶとんの ゲーム
jūsanmai no zabuton no geemu
thirteen zabuton cushions game
ざぶとん
-
いちまい ichimai
-
にまい nimai
-
さんまい sanmai
-
よんまい yonmai
-
ごまい gomai
-
ろくまい rokumai
-
ななまい nanamai
-
はちまい hachimai
-
きゅうまい kyūmai
-
じゅうまい jūmai
Bikes 自転車 じてんしゃ
自転車 じてんしゃ jitensha bike
As you can see most people have bikes, bicycles or sometimes called push bikes. Bikes are very convenient, particularly for housewives around the suburbs in narrow streets, or for youngsters to get to and from school.
The latter could mean directly to school, or what is more common, to the nearest subway, or railway station.
Outside these public places one can often see huge bike sheds, or bike parking spaces.
Because so many people use bikes, City Councils are left with an accumulating problem: what to do when people abandon their bicycle?
It is hard to imagine, but as bikes do not cost a lot of money, it seems more convenient to just leave it and get another one in another place. Another big problem is of course that people genuinely forget where they have parked their bike.
City Councils have no option, but to get the “Bikes Department” to announce a “Bikes Collection Day” for a certain district and to tidy up a whole area. On such a day, trucks will come and any bike which looks neglected, or which has not been shifted for quite a while, is cut loose and put on the truck and moved to the Recycle (a pun!) Centre. At the Centre the bikes get sorted and anything that is in reasonable condition is sold on. Students often buy their cheaper bike at such places.
Not to worry, everyone gets plenty of notice about such a tidy up, so it is not a case of someone finding their trusted cycle napped overnight.
For the language students it is important to know that bicycles in Japanese are counted as だい. Example:
いちだいの じてんしゃ
ichidai no jitensha
Yen 円 えん
These are all the denominations available to Japanese. Japan is still very much a cash society, so most Japanese people carry a lot of cash around with them. It is a very safe country as there are always lots of witnesses to any crime. Petty pickpocket-ting doesn’t seem to be part of the Japanese psyche. In any case, Japan is spread over islands, so where to go with so many witnesses willing to dob you in? The problem occurs when Japanese people go overseas and they imagine that other countries are just as safe…
昭和三十九年
しょうわ３９ねん
shōwa sanjūkyū nen
The 39th year of the reign of Emperor Showa (=1964)
Lami Japan 
