戸 counts dwelling units; 軒 counts houses and shops as establishments or buildings.

The idea

Put the number before the counter: 一戸 is いっこ and 三戸 is さんこ. 一軒 is いっけん, 三軒 is さんげん and 八軒 is はっけん. Ask 何戸（なんこ） or 何軒（なんげん）. A quantity can follow the noun, as in 店が三軒あります.

Patterns to compare
FormReading
一戸いっこ
二戸にこ
三戸さんこ
十戸じゅっこ／じっこ
何戸なんこ
一軒いっけん
二軒にけん
三軒さんげん
六軒ろっけん
八軒はっけん
十軒じゅっけん／じっけん
何軒なんげん

Examples

  • この集合住宅しゅうごうじゅうたくには二十戸にじゅっこの住宅じゅうたくがあります。There are twenty dwelling units in this apartment building.
  • 新あたらしい住宅じゅうたくを一戸いっこ建たてました。We built one new dwelling.
  • この団地だんちには何戸なんこありますか。How many dwelling units are in this housing complex?
  • 駅えきの近ちかくに店みせが三軒さんげんあります。There are three shops near the station.
  • この通とおりには古ふるい家いえが八軒はっけんあります。There are eight old houses on this street.
  • 昨日きのうはパン屋やを二軒にけん回まわりました。Yesterday I visited two bakeries.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

A block can contain many 戸 but be one building. 軒 focuses on houses or shops, while 戸 counts separate dwellings; do not assume the two always count the same units.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading in hiragana: 一戸

    Show answer or example answer

    いっこ

    一戸 is いっこ: いち contracts to いっ before こ.

  2. Write the reading in hiragana: 三軒

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    さんげん

    三軒 is さんげん: けん becomes げん after さん.

  3. Write the reading in hiragana: 八軒

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    はっけん

    八軒 is はっけん: はち contracts to はっ before けん.

Use it today

Count dwellings in a housing complex with 戸, then count shops on a street with 軒.