杯

Counter for Cups/glasses

Level 1Sounds Like hai

杯（はい） is the standard counter for anything served in a cup-like container, such as drinks, soup, or bowls of rice. It is also used for spoonfuls and, interestingly, for counting squid, octopuses, and crabs.

How It Works

杯（はい） is one of the most common counters in daily life, especially when dining out.

1. Usage Scenarios:

  • Drinks: Coffee, tea, beer, or water in a glass/cup.
  • Food in Bowls: Rice, ramen, or miso soup.
  • Measurements: Spoonfuls of sugar, salt, or medicine. In recipes, you will frequently see 大さじ一杯（おおさじいっぱい） for one tablespoon and 小さじ一杯（こさじいっぱい） for one teaspoon.
  • Seafood: Specifically for squid, octopuses, and crabs. Note that 杯（はい） is used when they are treated as food or products; live ones are usually counted with 匹（ひき）.
  • Boats and Ships: Used for counting small boats, rowboats, and racing yachts.

2. Pronunciation Shifts:
This counter is tricky because the 'h' sound often changes to 'p' or 'b':

  • 1: 一杯（いっぱい）
  • 3: 三杯（さんばい）
  • 6: 六杯（ろっぱい）
  • 8: 八杯（はっぱい）
  • 10: 十杯（じゅっぱい／じっぱい）
  • 100: 百杯（ひゃっぱい）
  • 1,000: 千杯（せんばい）
  • 10,000: 一万杯（いちまんばい）
  • How many?: 何杯（なんばい）

Other numbers default to the regular はい sound. Pay special attention to 4, 7, and 9: 四杯（よんはい）, 七杯（ななはい）, and 九杯（きゅうはい）.

3. Distinction from 本（ほん）:
Use 本（ほん） for the bottle itself (long/cylindrical), but use 杯（はい） for the glass you pour the drink into.

4. Special Meanings of 一杯（いっぱい）:
Beyond counting, 一杯（いっぱい） is also commonly used as an adverb or adjective meaning "full" or "a lot" (e.g., お腹がいっぱい - "I am full"). This "full capacity" concept also appears in common words like 精一杯（せいいっぱい） (with all one's might) and 手一杯（ていっぱい） (having one's hands full). Additionally, it is frequently used as an idiom for "having an alcoholic drink" (e.g., 一杯やる - "to have a drink", ちょっと一杯どうですか - "How about a quick drink?"). This is a very frequent expression, so pay attention to the context to know if it means "one cup", "full to the limit", or "a drink".

5. Suffix for Tournaments:
Similar to English, 杯（はい） is also used as a suffix meaning "Cup" for sports tournaments or prizes, such as 天皇杯（てんのうはい - Emperor's Cup）.

Examples (4)

  1. コーヒーを二杯飲みました。

    I drank two cups of coffee.

    Word by Word: Coffee (object) two-cups drank.

    二杯 is read as 二杯（にはい）. It refers to the two servings of coffee.

  2. おかわりをもう一杯ください。

    Another glass/bowl, please.

    Word by Word: Refill (object) another one-cup please.

    一杯（いっぱい） is the standard way to ask for 'one more' or a refill of a drink or bowl of rice.

  3. 砂糖を三杯入れました。

    I put in three spoonfuls of sugar.

    Word by Word: Sugar (object) three-cups put in.

    三杯 is read as 三杯（さんばい）. Here it refers to the measurement of a spoon.

  4. スーパーでカニを二杯買った。

    I bought two crabs at the supermarket.

    Word by Word: Supermarket at crab (object) two-cups bought.

    Even though they aren't liquids, crabs and squid are counted with 杯（はい） when sold as food products.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 一杯（いちはい） instead of 一杯（いっぱい）.

    コーヒーを一杯（いちはい）ください。
    コーヒーを一杯（いっぱい）ください。

    The number 1 combines with 杯（はい） to become 一杯（いっぱい）. This phonetic change is mandatory.

  • Using 杯（はい） to count unopened bottles.

    ビールを二杯買いました。
    ビールを二本買いました。

    If you bought two bottles of beer at a store, use 本（ほん）. If you drank two glasses of beer at a bar, use 杯（はい）.

How It Connects

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

杯Level 1Counter for Cups/glasses

Learn This First

To learn the counter for cups and glasses (杯), you should first understand the basic concept of Japanese counters and be familiar with basic kanji usage, as counters often involve irregular pronunciations depending on the number.

Words in This Pattern

杯