匹

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 猫を二匹飼っています。▶ —
   I have two cats.
2. 魚が三匹釣れました。▶ —
   I caught three fish.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Hiki (匹) counts small animals — cats, dogs, rats, fish, insects. Sound shifts: ippiki (1), nihiki (2), sanbiki (3), yonhiki (4), gohiki (5), roppiki (6), nanahiki (7), happiki (8), kyuuhiki (9), juppiki / jippiki (10), nanbiki (how many). The 1 / 3 / 6 / 8 / 10 / nan shifts are typical counter traps. Animal-size split: hiki (small — cats, dogs, rats, fish, insects), tou (large — cows, horses, elephants, pigs, bears), wa (birds and rabbits — rabbits use the bird counter, possibly because of long ears or Buddhist anti-killing reframings), bi (formal / menu counter for fish). Pet cluster: petto wo kau (keep a pet), doubutsu byouin (vet), yobou sesshu (vaccination). Japan now has more pet cats / dogs than children — a facet of shoushi-koureika (declining-birth aging society). Korean "~mari" parallels but the size split and rabbit-as-bird are Japan-specific.

Quick check

1. Counter for rabbits in Japanese?

   • Wa — bird counter (Japan-specific for rabbits)
   • Hiki — small animals
   • Tou — large animals
   • Ko — general