Sound changes when counting with 本

The idea

Put a number before 本: 一本 is いっぽん, 二本 にほん and 三本 さんぼん. Six and eight are ろっぽん and はっぽん; ten is じゅっぽん or じっぽん. Ask 何本（なんぼん）.

Examples

• 傘かさを一本いっぽん買かいました。I bought one umbrella.
• 机つくえの上うえに鉛筆えんぴつが二本にほんあります。There are two pencils on the desk.
• 水みずを三本さんぼん飲のみました。I drank three bottles of water.
• バナナを六本ろっぽん買かいました。I bought six bananas.
• 庭にわに木きが八本はっぽんあります。There are eight trees in the garden.
• お茶ちゃを何本なんぼん買かいましたか。How many bottles of tea did you buy?

Watch out

Do not read every 本 as ほん: after three and 何 it becomes ぼん, while after one, six and eight it becomes ぽん with a small っ. Books use 冊.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading in hiragana: 一本

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   いっぽん

   一本 is いっぽん: いち shortens and ほん changes to ぽん after small っ.

2. Write the reading in hiragana: 三本

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   さんぼん

   三本 is さんぼん: ほん changes to ぼん after さん.

3. Write the reading in hiragana: 六本

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   ろっぽん

   六本 is ろっぽん: ろく shortens and ほん becomes ぽん.

4. Write the reading in hiragana: 何本

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   なんぼん

   何本 is なんぼん, the question for the number of long objects.

Use it today

Count some pencils aloud, then ask how many bottles someone bought.