個 counts individual objects such as eggs, apples and small pieces.

The idea

Place a number before 個: 一個 is いっこ, 二個 にこ and 三個 さんこ. 六個 is ろっこ; 八個 is はっこ or はちこ, and 十個 is じゅっこ or じっこ. Ask 何個（なんこ） for the number of items. Like other counters, the quantity can follow the object: りんごを一個食べます.

Patterns to compare
FormReading
一個いっこ
二個にこ
三個さんこ
四個よんこ
五個ごこ
六個ろっこ
七個ななこ／しちこ
八個はっこ／はちこ
九個きゅうこ
十個じゅっこ／じっこ
何個なんこ

Examples

  • りんごを一個いっこ食たべます。I eat one apple.
  • 卵たまごが二個にこあります。There are two eggs.
  • 箱はこにみかんが三個さんこあります。There are three mandarins in the box.
  • 石いしを六個ろっこ拾ひろいました。I picked up six stones.
  • クッキーを八個はっこ作つくりました。I made eight cookies.
  • チョコレートは何個なんこほしいですか。How many chocolates would you like?

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

Watch out

個 counts individual units, not unmeasured liquid. Some categories have a more usual counter: 冊 for books and 本 for long objects. つ is another general way to count, but uses different number forms.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading in hiragana: 一個

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    いっこ

    一個 is いっこ: いち shortens and a small っ appears before こ.

  2. Write the reading in hiragana: 六個

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    ろっこ

    六個 is ろっこ: ろく shortens before こ.

  3. Write the reading in hiragana: 何個

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    なんこ

    何個 is なんこ, used to ask how many individual items.

Use it today

Count some fruit with 個 and ask how many pieces your partner would like.