General counting with つ

English can say “three books” directly. Japanese normally uses a counter appropriate to what you are counting. Think of English phrases such as “three sheets of paper”: Japanese uses counting units much more widely.

The つ counting series is useful for many everyday things, including orders: コーヒー を 二ふたつ ください means “Two coffees, please.” It is helpful, but not universal—people and animals normally use their own counters.

Learn these as a separate set: ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ…, rather than attaching つ to いち, に, さん. The tenth form is とお, without つ. This series stops at ten; for larger quantities, learn the number with the appropriate counter.

Use いくつ to ask “how many?” for things counted this way.