Translation guide
How to express the quantity of articles (items, products, goods) in Japanese, using counters and general quantity words.
The speaker wants to state or ask how many articles there are, using the standard counter for miscellaneous items.
Use the counter 個 (こ) for small, often three-dimensional objects, including many articles. This is the most common and versatile counter for miscellaneous items.
There are three apples in the box.
How many articles/products are there in this store?
Use this pattern when requesting a specific number of items, such as in a shop.
Please give me five of these cookies.
A noun meaning 'the number of items' or 'quantity'. Often used in formal or business contexts.
Please check the number of items.
Used for the number of items, especially in retail or inventory contexts. Can also mean 'score' or 'points'.
The number of items purchased is three.
The speaker wants to count written articles, such as newspaper articles, essays, or documents.
Use the counter 本 (ほん) for long, thin objects, which includes documents, letters, and sometimes articles when viewed as rolled or bound papers. Note the sound changes: 1本 (いっぽん), 3本 (さんぼん), 6本 (ろっぽん), 8本 (はっぽん), 10本 (じゅっぽん).
There are three articles/papers.
The counter 件 (けん) is used for matters, cases, or items such as news articles, reports, or incidents. Common in news and business.
A noun meaning 'number of articles' (specifically news or magazine articles).
The number of articles is too many.
The speaker wants to refer to the number of articles in a non-specific way, without using a counter.
In today's newspaper, there are five related articles.
The quantity of articles handled has increased.