Counting houses and shops with 軒

The idea

Put the number before 軒: 一軒 is いっけん, 二軒 にけん and 三軒 さんげん. Six is ろっけん, eight はっけん and ten じゅっけん or じっけん. Ask 何軒（なんげん）. A quantity can follow the noun, as in 店が二軒あります.

Examples

• 駅えきの近ちかくに家いえが一軒いっけんあります。There is one house near the station.
• この通とおりには店みせが二軒にけんあります。There are two shops on this street.
• 昨日きのうはパン屋やを三軒さんげん回まわりました。Yesterday I visited three bakeries.
• 村むらに古ふるい家いえが六軒ろっけん残のこっています。Six old houses remain in the village.
• この町まちには旅館りょかんが八軒はっけんあります。There are eight inns in this town.
• この辺あたりにカフェは何軒なんげんありますか。How many cafés are there around here?

Watch out

Use 軒 for houses or establishments, not individual rooms or floors. Three has voiced げん, but six has a small っ and unvoiced けん.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading in hiragana: 一軒

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   いっけん

   一軒 is いっけん: いち shortens and a small っ comes before けん.

2. Write the reading in hiragana: 三軒

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   さんげん

   三軒 is さんげん: the counter’s initial か sound becomes voiced.

3. Write the reading in hiragana: 何軒

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   なんげん

   何軒 is なんげん, the question form for a number of houses or establishments.

Use it today

Count the shops on a street with 軒, then ask how many inns are nearby.