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N5

Counters: People, Things, and Books

Count people, general objects, and books with the core N5 counters and ask simple quantity questions.

Use 人 for people, つ for general items, and 冊 for books.Ask how many with 何人, 何冊, and いくつ.Read simple counting expressions more smoothly in everyday sentences.
Guided study

Counting people

Use 人 to count people. The most important special readings are 一人 and 二人, but after that the pattern becomes more regular.

学生が三人います。

There are three students.

三人 uses 人 for people.

家族は四人です。

My family has four people.

Family size is also counted with 人.

教室に一人います。

There is one person in the classroom.

一人 is a special reading worth memorizing early.

Practice guides for this lesson

Use these hub pages to connect this lesson with related reading practice and grammar paths.