人(にん/ nin) > People
一人 (ほとり/ hitori) > one person
二人 (ふたり/ futari) > two people
三人 (さんにん/ sannin) > three people
四人 (よんにん/ yonnin) > four people
五人 (ごにん/ gonin) > five people
冊 (さつ/ satsu) > Bound Objects
一冊 (いっさつ/ issatsu) > one bound object
二冊(にさつ/ nisatsu) > two bound objects
三冊(さんさつ/ sansatsu) > three bound obj.
四冊(よんさつ/ yonsatsu) > four bound obj.
五冊(ごさつ/gosatsu) > five bound obj.
台 (だい/ dai) > Mechanical Items
一台(いちだい/ ichidai) >one mechanical obj.
二台(にだい/nidai)> two mechanical obj.
三台(さんだい/sandai)> three mechanical obj
四台(よんだい/yondai)> four mechanical obj.
五台(ごだい/godai)> five mechanical obj.
杯 (はい/ hai) > Liquid in glasses, cups, or bowls
一杯(いっぱい/ippai)> one cup/glass/bowl of
二杯(にはい/nihai) > two cups/glasses/bowls
三杯(さんはい/sanhai)> 3 cups/glasses/bowls
枚 (まい/ mai) > Thin Flat Objects -
一枚(いちまい/ichimai)> one piece of paper
二枚(にまい/nimai)> two pieces paper
三枚(さんまい/sanmai)>three pieces of paper
四枚(よんまい/yonmai)>four pieces of paper
五枚(ごまい/gomai)>five pieces of paper
本 (ほん/ hon) > Long Cylindrical Items
一本(いっぽん/ippon)> one pencil**
二本(にっぽん/nippon)>two pencils
三本(さんぼん/sanbon)>three pencils
四本(よんほん/yonhon)>four pencils
五本(ごほん/gohon)> five pencils
匹 (ひき/ hiki) > Animals
一匹 (いっぴき/ippiki) >one animal
二匹 (にひき/nihiki) > two animals
三匹 (さんびき/sanbiki) > three animals
四匹 (よんひき/yonhiki) > four animals
五匹 (ごひき/gohiki) > five animals
**pencil was used here just as an example of a long cylindrical object.
~In most situations the Chinese origin numbers are used for the counters listed above, but note the words for 1 person and 2 people employ the native Japanese numbers.
Here are the native Japanese Numbers:
一つ > ひとつ > hitotsu > one
二つ > ふたつ > futastu > two
三つ > みっつ > mittsu > three
四つ > よっつ > yottsu > four
五つ > いつつ > itsutsu > five
六つ > むっつ > muttsu > six
七つ > ななつ > nanatsu > seven
八つ > やっつ > yattsu > eight
九つ > ここのつ > kokonotsu > nine
十 > とお > too > ten
**Native numbers are used for things like round objects, furniture, mountains, starts, and other very abstract ideas
