Use 枚（まい） to count flat objects such as sheets of paper, photographs and tickets.

The idea

Place a number before 枚: 一枚（いちまい）, 二枚（にまい） and 三枚（さんまい）. The counter remains まい; ask 何枚（なんまい）. The number may stand before a verb, as in 紙を二枚ください, or modify a noun with の: 二枚の紙.

Patterns to compare
FormReading
一枚いちまい
二枚にまい
三枚さんまい
四枚よんまい
五枚ごまい
六枚ろくまい
七枚ななまい／しちまい
八枚はちまい
九枚きゅうまい
十枚じゅうまい
何枚なんまい

Examples

  • 紙かみを二枚にまいください。Two sheets of paper, please.
  • 写真しゃしんを三枚さんまい見みます。I look at three photographs.
  • 切手きってを一枚いちまい買かいます。I buy one postage stamp.
  • シャツが四枚よんまいあります。There are four shirts.
  • 切符きっぷは何枚なんまいありますか。How many tickets are there?
  • 食しょくパンを二枚にまい食たべます。I eat two slices of bread.

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

Watch out

The counter depends on the object and context, not just the material: a sheet of paper is 一枚, but a book is normally counted with 冊. 枚 also counts shirts and slices of bread.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the counter for two sheets of paper. 紙かみを＿＿ください。（二枚にまい／二本にほん）

    Show answer or example answer

    二枚

    二枚 counts two flat sheets; 本 counts long objects.

  2. Ask how many tickets there are. 切符きっぷは＿＿ありますか。（何枚なんまい／何本なんぼん）

    Show answer or example answer

    何枚

    何枚 asks how many flat items; 何本 is for long objects.

  3. Choose the written form for the reading じゅうまい. 「じゅうまい」は＿＿です。（十枚じゅうまい／十本じゅっぽん）

    Show answer or example answer

    十枚

    十枚 is read じゅうまい: 十 is じゅう and 枚 stays まい.

Use it today

Count some pieces of paper and photographs, then ask how many tickets someone has.