", "
", "
" ... The second kanji shows the properties of items, it is called josushi (
). Those items own one or more common properties will be looked as one group and there is
a special josushi for each group.
| Numbers (part 2) |
|
Introduction
|
|
In Japanese and Chinese, a number of
items is usually expressed with two parts (kanji). The first kanji is a number such as
"", "", "" ... The second kanji shows the properties of items, it is called josushi (). Those items own one or more common properties will be looked as one group and there is
a special josushi for each group.
|
|
Here is some josushi which is usually used in our life.
|
|
Items
|
Properties
|
Josushi
|
|
|
Kanji
|
Reading
|
||
|
box, cup, egg, dumpling, orange
|
small items (Default*)
|
 |
|
|
beer, bottle, cigaret, leg, pencil, tree,
trousers, umbrella
|
long and narrow items
|
 |
|
|
cloth, dish, paper
|
pieces of
|
 |
|
|
book, dictionary, magzine
|
books
|
 |
|
|
scissors, tofu
|
square-style items
|
 |
|
|
tear, water
|
drops of
|
 |
|
|
coffee, milk, tea
|
cups/glasses of
|
 |
|
|
couples
|
pairs
|
 |
|
|
shoes, socks
|
pairs of (item on foot)
|
 |
|
|
car, computer, radio, television, truck
|
machines/vehicles
|
 |
|
|
battleship, boat, submarine
|
ships
|
 |
|
|
apartment, house, shop
|
buildings
|
 |
|
|
cat, dog, fish, spider
|
small animals
|
 |
|
|
elephant, horse, ox, pig, tiger
|
big animals
|
 |
|
|
chicken, eagle, sparrow
|
birds
|
 |
|
|
chopsticks
|
pairs
|
 |
|
|
drawers
|
chests of
|
 |
|
|
yen
|
monetary units of Japan
|
 |
|
|
Usage
|
|
Josushi is used in such a usage:
item + number + josushi .
For example,
|
|
Kanji
|
Reading
|
English
|
||
|
Item
|
Number
|
Josushi
|
||
 |
|
|
one box
|
|
 |
|
|
two umbrellas
|
|
 |
|
|
three pieces of paper
|
|
|
|
 |
|
four books
|
|
 |
 |
|
five houses
|
|
 |
 |
|
six pairs of shoes
|
|
 |
 |
|
seven dogs
|
|
 |
 |
|
eight horses
|
|
 |
 |
|
nine eagles
|
|
 |
|
|
water of a drop
|
|
  |
|
|
two pieces of tofu
|
|
 |
|
|
three cups of alcohol
|
|
  |
|
|
four sets of married couples
|
|
 |
|
|
five cars
|
|
 |
|
|
six ships
|
|
 |
|
|
chopsticks of seven trays
|
|
  |
|
|
cabinets of eight poles
|
|
|
Another special usage:
number + josushi .
For example,
|
|
Japanese
|
English
|
|||
|
Number
|
Josushi
|
Reading
|
||
|
12,345
|
|
tweleve thousand three hundred and fouty-five
yen
|
||