数える

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 羊を数えながら寝た。▶ —
   I fell asleep counting sheep.
2. 十まで数えてください。▶ —
   Please count to ten.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Kazoeru (数える) is the ichidan Japanese verb for "count / enumerate." The kanji 数 combines 攵 (strike, action) and 婁 (pile up, repeat) — "tallying by repeated motion." Noun forms: kazu / suu (number, quantity), suuji (numeral). Japanese "kazoekata" (ways of counting) fuses with a system of 50-plus counters — hitotsu / futatsu / mittsu (general items), hitori / futari (people), issatsu / nisatsu (books), ippiki / nihiki (small animals), ittou / nitou (large animals), ichi-wa / ni-wa (birds — and rabbits in Japan), ichidai / nidai (machines), ippon / nihon (long objects). Animals branch by counter (魚 fish use 匹 or 尾, 鳥 birds use 羽 or 匹). "Hitsuji wo kazoenagara neru" (count sheep to sleep) is a literal Japanese import of the English idiom — not native. Juzu (数珠, prayer beads) is Buddhist counting hardware. English count, Chinese 数 shǔ map.

Quick check

1. Counter for rabbits in Japanese?

   • 羽 (wa, the bird counter; uniquely also used for rabbits)
   • 匹 (hiki, small animals)
   • 頭 (tou, large animals)
   • 本 (hon, long objects)