To count people in Japanese, add 人 (nin) to a number: 三人 (sannin) is 3 people, 五人 (gonin) is 5 people. The only catch is that 1 and 2 people are irregular: 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari).
| People | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一人 (ひとり) | hitori |
| 2 | 二人 (ふたり) | futari |
| 3 | 三人 (さんにん) | sannin |
| 4 | 四人 (よにん) | yonin |
| 5 | 五人 (ごにん) | gonin |
| 6 | 六人 (ろくにん) | rokunin |
| 7 | 七人 (しちにん) | shichinin or nananin |
| 8 | 八人 (はちにん) | hachinin |
| 9 | 九人 (きゅうにん) | kyūnin |
| 10 | 十人 (じゅうにん) | jūnin |
Watch out for 4: it's yonin, not "yonnin" or "shinin". After 10 the pattern never changes, so 88 people is 八十八人 (hachijūhachinin) and 1,000 people is 千人 (sennin).
The words you'll use most
One person, and also "alone". Add で (de) to say you're doing something by yourself.
Two people. 二人で (futari de) means "the two of us" or "together".
The question word. Answer with the number plus 人.
Can't read ひとり yet?
Learn hiragana with picture mnemonics in the Dr. Moku app.
In restaurants and shops, staff use the polite counter 名 (mei) instead of 人. You can simply answer with the normal word.
Everyone. For a polite "everyone" use 皆さん (minasan), and for very formal speeches or announcements 皆様 (minasama).
Want more? Browse our free Japanese words and phrases with audio, or start with the hiragana guide.