How to Count People and Things in Japanese | Using Arimasu（あります） and Imasu（います） with Numbers

level1 (N5)

Video

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How to Count People and Things in Japanese | Using Arimasu（あります） and Imasu（います） with Numbers
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel

Introduction

Want to say “There are two kids in the park” or “I have three brothers”?
In Japanese, saying how many people or things there are involves a little grammar magic — especially with the verbs あります and います.

In this article, you’ll learn:
✔ How to say “There are X people/things” in Japanese
✔ The correct counters for people and general objects
✔ How to form questions like “How many…?”
✔ Sentence patterns with real-world examples
✔ Common pronunciation tips and an FAQ

Let’s start counting — Japanese style!

1. Sentence Structure: N が X つ・人 あります／います

Japanese uses different counters depending on what you’re counting:

UseCounterVerb
People人（にん）います
General objectsつあります

Sentence Patterns

  • [Noun] が X人（にん） います → “There are X people”
  • [Noun] が Xつ あります → “There are X things”
JapaneseEnglish
公園こうえんに子こどもが二人ふたりいます。There are two children in the park.
この町まちに病院びょういんが三みっつあります。There are three hospitals in this town.
私わたしのクラスに韓国人かんこくじんが六人ろくにんいます。There are six Korean people in my class.
机つくえの上うえにりんごが四よっつあります。There are four apples on the desk.

2. Counting People in Japanese

NumberJapanese (～にん)
1 personひとり
2 peopleふたり
3 peopleさんにん
4 peopleよにん
5 peopleごにん
6 peopleろくにん
7 peopleななにん / しちにん
8 peopleはちにん
9 peopleきゅうにん
10 peopleじゅうにん
gokigen penguin
gokigen penguin

ひとり (1 person), ふたり (2 people) and よにん (4 people, not よんにん) are irregular. Be careful!

3. Counting Things in Japanese with ～つ

The counter つ is used for general, everyday objects — like apples, bags, desks, etc.

Tips:

  • If you’re not sure which specific counter to use, つ is usually a safe choice.
  • It can even be used for abstract things — such as questions, ideas, or topics — not just physical objects.
NumberJapanese (～つ)
1 thingひとつ
2 thingsふたつ
3 thingsみっつ
4 thingsよっつ
5 thingsいつつ
6 thingsむっつ
7 thingsななつ
8 thingsやっつ
9 thingsここのつ
10 thingsとお

4. Asking Questions: How Many?

To ask “How many people?” → Use なんにん
To ask “How many things?” → Use いくつ

JapaneseEnglish
クラスに留学生りゅうがくせいは何人なんにんいますか。How many international students are in the class?
りんごはいくつありますか。How many apples are there?
兄弟きょうだいは何人なんにんいますか。How many siblings do you have?

5. Real-Life Examples

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
私わたしのクラスにオーストラリア人じんが一人ひとりいます。watashi no kurasu ni oosutoraria-jin ga hitori imasuThere is one Australian in my class.
公園こうえんに子こどもが二人ふたりいます。kouen ni kodomo ga futari imasuThere are two children in the park.
私わたしの町まちに病院びょういんが三みっつあります。watashi no machi ni byouin ga mittsu arimasuThere are three hospitals in my town.
家いえにスマホが一ひとつあります。ie ni sumaho ga hitotsu arimasuThere is one smartphone at home.

6. Practice Time: Try These!

Translate into Japanese:

  1. There are three schools in this town.
    → この町まちに 学校がっこうが 三みっつあります。
  2. I have five Japanese coworkers.
    → 私わたしの会社かいしゃに 日本人にほんじんが 五人ごにんいます。
  3. There are two tables.
    → テーブルが 二ふたつあります。
  4. There is one person in the park.
    → 公園こうえんに 人ひとが 一人ひとりいます。

7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
What’s the difference between あります and います?
A

Use あります for things (inanimate), and います for people and animals (animate).

Q
Can I use ひとつ, ふたつ, etc. for people?
A

No — use ひとり, ふたり, さんにん… for people.

Q
Can I say “I have ___” using this pattern?
A

Yes! In Japanese, saying “I have 3 siblings / 私には兄弟が3人います” is the same as saying “There are 3 siblings (in my family).”

Q
What other counters are there?
A

There are many other counters in Japanese.

  • “匹” (hiki) is used for counting small animals, like 猫 (neko, cat).
  • “本” (hon) for long objects, like 傘 (kasa, umbrella).
  • “枚” (mai) for flat items, like 紙 (kami, paper).
  • “台” (dai) for machines, like テレビ (television).
  • “円” (en) for money, meaning “yen.” For example: 百円 (hyaku en) = 100 yen.
  • “階” (kai) for floors or levels of a building. For example: 三階 (sankai) = the third floor.

8. Conclusion: Start Counting Naturally in Japanese

Now you can say how many people or things there are — just like a native speaker!
Use X にん います for people, and X つ あります for objects.

These patterns are essential for everyday Japanese, from shopping to describing your family.

🎯 Practice today: Try saying how many family members and objects are around you!

Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?

Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.

Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.


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  • gokigen japanese
    Author:

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  • Reviewer:

    Japanese native and language educator with about 10 years of experience teaching and developing courses and materials.
    She studied and taught in 5 different countries. Her most recent teaching role was at University of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
    Other than teaching all levels of Japanese in various settings from personal tutoring to college courses, she also has experience writing articles about Japanese language and culture and teaching English.
    Education: M.A. in Japanese pedagogy, Purdue University. B.A from the school of Japanese language and culture, Tsukuba University.