Learn 隻 through sentences about boats and ships. Connect each number to its complete pronunciation.

The idea

隻 has 10 strokes and is read せき as a vessel counter. After 一 and 八, it becomes いっせき and はっせき; 二隻 is にせき. Follow the linked stroke diagram.

Patterns to compare
CountReadingExample in context
一隻いっせきOne ship is in the harbour.
二隻にせきTwo boats crossed the river.
三隻さんせきThree ships can be seen at sea.
八隻はっせきEight ships arrived at the port.

Examples

  • 港みなとに船ふねが一隻いっせきあります。One ship is in the harbour.
  • 二隻にせきのボートが川かわを渡わたりました。Two boats crossed the river.
  • 海うみに三隻さんせきの船ふねが見みえます。Three ships can be seen at sea.
  • 八隻はっせきの船ふねが港みなとに着つきました。Eight ships arrived at the port.
  • ボートは何隻なんせきありますか。How many boats are there?
  • 私わたしたちはボートを一隻いっせき借かりました。We rented one boat.

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

Watch out

隻 counts vessels, not people aboard them. Do not read 一隻 as いちせき: the consonant doubles. 船 is the word for a boat or ship, not this counter.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 一隻 in hiragana.

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    いっせき

    一隻 is いっせき: 一 changes to いっ before せき.

  2. Write the reading of 二隻 in hiragana.

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    にせき

    二隻 is にせき: 二 is read に before the counter.

  3. Write the reading of 八隻 in hiragana.

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    はっせき

    八隻 is はっせき: 八 changes to はっ before せき.

Use it today

Write 隻 using the diagram, then cover the table and say the readings for one, two and eight vessels. Make a sentence with one of them.