Japanese edit

Etymology edit

 
Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
Kanji in this term
じょ
Grade: 3
すう
Grade: 2

Grade: 6
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
助數詞 (kyūjitai)

(jo, help) +‎ 数詞 (sūshi, numeral)

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

(じょ)(すう)() (josūshi

  1. (grammar) counter word, a Japanese part of speech

Usage notes edit

In Japanese, numerals cannot quantify nouns by themselves, except in certain cases for the numbers from one to ten (and then only using the forms ending in -tsu, such as hitotsu or futatsu). Instead, 助数詞 (counter words) are used after the number to count objects and events.

For example, (hiki) is the counter for small animals:

  • 犬二(いぬに)(ひき)
    inu nihiki
    "two dogs" (literally "dog two-small-animal")

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006) 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998) NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  3. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997) 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  • 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.