台

Counter for Machines/vehicles

Level 1Sounds Like dai

Use 台 (だい) to count mechanical or electronic devices (cars, computers, phones) and large furniture (beds, tables). It is a regular counter with no sound changes.

How It Works

The counter 台（だい） is one of the most common counters in Japanese. It is primarily used for:

  • Vehicles: Cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trucks.
  • Electronics/Machines: Computers, smartphones, cameras, washing machines, televisions.
  • Large Furniture: Beds, tables, pianos (Note: Chairs use 脚（きゃく） instead).
  • Literal Stands: Pedestals, tripods, or bases.
  • Whole Cakes: A whole, unsliced cake is counted as 一台（いちだい）.

One of the best things about 台（だい） for learners is that it is completely regular. Unlike 本（ほん） or 匹（ひき）, the pronunciation of 台（だい） never changes regardless of the number before it.

Abstract Ranges:
While usually for physical objects, 台（だい） is also used for ranges. You will see it used for age decades (e.g., 20代（にじゅうだい） for 'in one's 20s') and price ranges (e.g., 1万円台（いちまんえんだい） for 'in the 10,000 yen range').

Counting Chart:
1: 一台（いちだい）
2: 二台（にだい）
3: 三台（さんだい）
4: 四台（よんだい） *Avoids しだい
5: 五台（ごだい）
6: 六台（ろくだい）
7: 七台（ななだい／しちだい）
8: 八台（はちだい）
9: 九台（きゅうだい）
10: 十台（じゅうだい）

Examples (4)

  1. 駐車場に車が三台あります。

    There are three cars in the parking lot.

    Word by Word: Parking lot in, cars (subject) 3-machines exist.

    Cars are vehicles, so we use the counter 台 (だい).

  2. 新しいパソコンを二台買いました。

    I bought two new computers.

    Word by Word: New computers (object) 2-machines bought.

    Computers are electronic machines, making 台 the correct counter.

  3. この部屋にはベッドが二台置いてあります。

    There are two beds placed in this room.

    Word by Word: This room in, beds (subject) 2-units placed exist.

    Large furniture like beds are counted with 台.

  4. スマホを一台持っています。

    I have one smartphone.

    Word by Word: Smartphone (object) 1-machine have.

    Even small electronic devices like smartphones use 台.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the general counter 〜つ for vehicles or machines.

    車が三つあります。
    車が三台あります。

    While 〜つ is a general counter, using it for cars sounds very childish or unnatural. Native speakers always use 台（だい） for vehicles.

  • Using しだい for 4 machines.

    四台（しだい）
    四台（よんだい）

    For the number 4 with this counter, よんだい is the standard reading. しだい is avoided because し is a homophone for 'death'.

  • Using 台（だい） for chairs.

    椅子が二台あります。
    椅子が二脚あります。

    While 台（だい） is used for large furniture like beds or tables, chairs and stools are an exception and are typically counted with 脚（きゃく）.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

台Level 1Counter for Machines/vehicles

Learn This First

To understand the counter '台', learners should first be familiar with the basic concept of Japanese counters (using 'つ' as a baseline) and the kanji system. Additionally, knowing how to express existence with 'ある' is helpful for using this counter in full sentences.

Words in This Pattern

台