Japanese kanji 冊: counting books and bound volumes

The idea

冊 has five strokes; use the linked diagram for their order. Its reading さつ follows a number: 二冊 is にさつ and 三冊 is さんさつ. 一冊 becomes いっさつ and 八冊 becomes はっさつ, with a small っ. 何冊（なんさつ） asks how many volumes.

Examples

• 本ほんを一冊いっさつ、買かいました。I bought one book.
• 図書館としょかんで本ほんを三冊さんさつ、借かりました。I borrowed three books from the library.
• 机つくえの上うえにノートが八冊はっさつあります。There are eight notebooks on the desk.
• 今月こんげつは本ほんを何冊なんさつ読よみましたか。How many books did you read this month?
• 友達ともだちに絵本えほんを二冊にさつ、あげました。I gave my friend two picture books.
• この辞書じしょは一冊いっさつにまとまっています。This dictionary is a single volume.

Watch out

Do not use 冊 for individual sheets: 枚 counts flat sheets, while 冊 counts bound volumes. 本 can mean a book, but as a counter it usually counts long objects.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 一冊 in hiragana.

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   いっさつ

   一冊 is いっさつ: the small っ marks the consonant pause before さつ.

2. Write the reading of 八冊 in hiragana.

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   はっさつ

   八冊 is はっさつ, also with a small っ before さつ.

3. Choose the counter for three books: 三＿ ［冊／枚］.

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   冊

   冊 makes 三冊（さんさつ）, three bound volumes. 枚 is used for flat sheets.

Use it today

Write 冊 following the diagram, then cover the table and say the counts for one, three and eight books. Ask someone how many books they read.