Counting People in Japanese: The ‘Nin’ Counter

If you’ve ever dipped your toes into the Japanese language, you’ve likely encountered one of its most infamous features: counters. In English, we might say “one person”, “two cars”, and “three books.” In Japanese, the word for “one”, “two”, and “three” changes depending on what you’re counting. It’s a system that can feel bewildering at first, but it adds a rich layer of specificity and context to the language.

Today, we’re going to tackle the most fundamental counter of all: the one for people. While it seems simple, it holds a couple of fascinating, irregular secrets that reveal a lot about the history of the Japanese language itself.

The General Rule: Counting with 〜人 (nin)

For the most part, counting people in Japanese is straightforward. You take the number and add the counter 人, which is read as にん (nin).

This pattern works perfectly for numbers three and up. Let’s take a look:

• Three people: 三人 (さんにん – sannin)
• Four people: 四人 (よにん – yonin)
• Five people: 五人 (ごにん – gonin)
• Six people: 六人 (ろくにん – rokunin)
• Ten people: 十人 (じゅうにん – jūnin)

Notice that for four people, we use the reading yon for the number four (四) instead of shi. This is a common phonetic quirk to avoid confusion with the word for death (死), which is also pronounced shi. While you might occasionally hear shichinin for seven people, nananin (七人) is also very common.

In a sentence, it looks like this:

会議室に五人がいます。
Kaigishitsu ni gonin ga imasu.
There are five people in the conference room.

The Strange Exceptions: One and Two People

Just when you think you’ve got the hang of it, Japanese throws you a curveball. The rule of “number + nin” does not apply to one or two people. These two are special, and they are absolutely essential to learn as they are used constantly in daily conversation.

One Person: 一人 (hitori)

If you want to say “one person”, you don’t say ichi-nin. Instead, you use the word 一人 (ひとり – hitori).

While it uses the same kanji for “one” (一) and “person” (人), the reading is completely different. It’s not a combination of the number and the counter; it’s its own unique word. You’ll see it used to mean “one person” or “alone.”

レストランに一人で入りました。
Resutoran ni hitori de hairimashita.
I went into the restaurant by myself (as one person).

Two People: 二人 (futari)

Similarly, “two people” is not ni-nin. The correct term is 二人 (ふたり – futari).

Like hitori, futari uses the standard kanji for “two” (二) and “person” (人) but has its own special reading. This word is incredibly common, often used to refer to a pair or a couple.

あの二人はカップルです。
Ano futari wa kappuru desu.
Those two people are a couple.

Here’s a quick reference table to make it clear:

Number	Kanji	Reading	English
1	一人	hitori	One person
2	二人	futari	Two people
3	三人	sannin	Three people
4	四人	yonin	Four people

Why the Exceptions? A Linguistic Fossil

So, why do hitori and futari break the mold? The answer lies in the history of the Japanese language itself. Modern Japanese is a blend of two main systems:

1. Wago (和語): Native Japanese words that existed before significant contact with China. This includes words like mizu (water), yama (mountain), and an original counting system: hi, fu, mi, yo…
2. Kango (漢語): Sino-Japanese words, which were borrowed from Chinese, including their writing system (kanji) and pronunciations. The number system ichi, ni, san, shi… and most counters, including nin, are Kango.

Hitori and futari are linguistic fossils. They are remnants of the old, native Wago counting system. Over centuries, the more systematic and expandable Kango system largely replaced the native one for counting. However, the most frequently used numbers—one and two—resisted the change and held on to their original forms. This is a common phenomenon in language evolution; the most common words are often the most irregular (think of “go” vs. “went” in English, not “goed”).

Asking the Question: “How Many People?”

To ask “how many people?” you use the same counter, but with the question word 何 (nan, meaning “what” or “how many”).

The question is: 何人ですか？ (なんにんですか？ – Nannin desu ka?)

Let’s see a sample conversation:

A: ご家族は何人ですか？
Gokazoku wa nannin desu ka?
How many people are in your family?

B: 四人です。父と母と兄と私です。
Yonin desu. Chichi to haha to ani to watashi desu.
There are four people. My father, mother, older brother, and me.

Bonus: The Polite Counter 〜名 (mei)

In formal situations, especially in customer service, you may encounter a different, more polite counter for people: 〜名 (〜めい – mei).

When a restaurant host asks how many are in your party, they will likely ask, “何名様ですか？” (Nan-mei-sama desu ka?). In this case, the exceptions for one and two disappear. You revert to the standard Sino-Japanese numbers:

• One person (formal): 一名 (いちめい – ichi-mei)
• Two people (formal): 二名 (にめい – ni-mei)

This is for recognition more than daily use, but it highlights how the hitori/futari rule is specific to the common 人 counter.

Conclusion

Mastering Japanese counters is a journey, and the counter for people is the perfect place to start. It introduces the core concept of counters, presents two unforgettable exceptions, and even offers a window into the linguistic history of Japan. Remembering the trio of hitori (一人), futari (二人), and nannin (何人) will instantly make your Japanese sound more natural and fluent. So next time you’re counting people, embrace the exceptions—they’re not just rules to memorize, but stories from a language’s past.