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<p>
	You've already learned a fair number of different counters, and there are a lot more we haven't covered.
	In this lesson, we will learn to count with <strong>〜つ</strong>, the general counter for physical objects.
	It can be used to count any material thing (with the exception of people), and therefore is useful if you don't know the specific counter for a type of object.
</p>
<p>
	For example, while a specific counter word solely for chopsticks exists, it would be perfectly correct to use the general counter instead when you refer to some quantity of chopsticks.
</p>
<p>
	This set of counters is highly irregular and requires a bit of memorization; however, the general counter is the most versatile and frequently used of all the counters, so learning it well is worth the trouble!
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="27692"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27693"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27694"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27695"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27696"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27697"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27698"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27699"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27700"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27701"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	Below are some example sentences using this counter.
</p>

<table class="ui fixed celled table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>English</th>
			<th>Japanese</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr data-item="27670"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27672"></tr>
		<tr data-item="27673"></tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	Note that if you do know the counter an object takes, it is always better to use the more specific counter.
	The sentences above actually sound a bit strange, because the counters they should take are commonly known.
	Don't worry, you will soon learn how to count notebooks and cars properly.
</p>

The general counter 〜つ

hiragana character

kanji

adnominal

adverb

auxiliary

conjunction

compound

i-adjective

interjection

noun

na-adjective

numeral

particle

case particle

conjunctive particle

discourse particle

prefix

pronoun

suffix

verb

sentence

hiragana writing

kanji writing

kanji component

reading vocabulary

katakana writing

katakana character

godan - group 1

itidan - group 2

group 3

transitive

intransitive

proper noun

discourse

phrase

expression

adjectival noun

adverbial phrase

adjectival phrase

The verb to be

Hiragana 1

Kanji 1

Writing hiragana 1

Writing kanji 1

Hiragana 2

Kanji 2

The question particle か

Writing hiragana 2

This one and that one

Writing kanji 2

Reading exercise 1

Reading exercise 2

Hiragana 3

Negating nouns

Writing hiragana 3

The topic particle は

Kanji 3

The possession particle の

い-adjectives and な-adjectives

The subject particle が

Here and there

There is, there are

Writing kanji 3

Kanji 4

Group 1 verbs, direct and indirect objects

Group 2 verbs

Hiragana 4

Verbs in the past tense

Negating verbs

Invitations and the particle と

Negating past verbs

Writing hiragana 4

Reading exercise 3

Writing kanji 4

Reading exercise 4

Kanji 5

Nouns and the past tense

This and that

The group 3 verbs する and 来る

The discourse particles ね and よ

The location particles に and で

Hiragana 5

Writing hiragana 5

Writing kanji 5

The destination particles に and へ

Kanji 6

The origin particle から

Hiragana 6

Relative positions

Conjugating い-adjectives

Writing hiragana 6

Writing kanji 6

Hiragana 7

Writing hiragana 7

Kanji 7

Conjugating な-adjectives

How are you?

The particle も

The word ちょっと

Reading exercise 7

Question	Answer
general object counter	つtsu
How many do you want?	いくつ　ほしい　です　か？ikutsu hoshii desu ka?
one (object)	一ひとつhitotsu
two (objects)	二ふたつfutatsu
three (objects)	三みっつmittsu
notebook	ノートnooto
I want three notebooks^things.	三みっつ　の　ノート　が　ほしい　です。mittsu no nooto ga hoshii desu.
four (objects)	四よっつyottsu
Wanda has four cars^things.	ワンダー　さん　は　四よっつ　の　車くるま　が　あります。wandaa san wa yottsu no kuruma ga arimasu.
five (objects)	五いつつitsutsu
six (objects)	六むっつmuttsu
seven (objects)	七ななつnanatsu
eight (objects)	八やっつyattsu
nine (objects)	九ここのつkokonotsu
ten (objects)	十つとおtoo
How many? One.	いくつ？　一ひとつ。ikutsu? hitotsu.

Japanese 115 - The general counter 〜つ

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