匹ひき

counter

counter for small animals

Only with reading ひき

Used to count small animals such as cats, dogs, fish, insects, and similar creatures. Larger animals are more often counted with 頭. The pronunciation changes after some numbers: 一匹 is いっぴき, 二匹 is にひき, 三匹 is さんびき.

• うちでは猫ねこを二に匹ひき飼かっている。

  We keep two cats at home.

• 池いけに小ちいさな魚さかなが三さん匹びきいた。

  There were three small fish in the pond.

counter

counter for rolls of cloth

Traditional or specialized textile use for counting rolls of cloth, described as rolls of cloth of two han in size. This is not an everyday counter for learners outside historical, textile, or kimono-related contexts.

• 古ふるい和わ裁さいの本ほんでは、反たん物ものを一いっ疋ぴき、二に疋ひきと数かぞえている。

  In old books on Japanese sewing, bolts of cloth are counted as one hiki, two hiki.

counter

archaic counter for horses

Only with reading き

Archaic use read き for counting horses. In modern Japanese, horses are normally counted with 頭, while 騎 is used in contexts such as mounted riders or cavalry.

• 古ふるい注ちゅう釈しゃくでは、馬うまを数かぞえる匹ひきを「き」と読よむ用よう法ほうが説せつ明めいされている。

  In old annotations, the use of 匹 read as ki for counting horses is explained.

noun

roll of cloth

Noun use meaning a roll of cloth. This is a traditional textile term and is rare in ordinary modern conversation compared with clearer words such as 反物.

• 古ふるい織おり物ものの資し料りょうでは、「疋ひき」が一いち巻かんきの布ぬのを指さす名めい詞しとして出でることがある。

  In old textile materials, 疋 sometimes appears as a noun referring to a roll of cloth.