枚

Counter for Flat Objects

Level 1Sounds Like mai

枚（まい） is the standard counter for anything thin and flat. It is used for paper, tickets, photos, plates, and even some clothing like T-shirts.

How It Works

枚（まい） is one of the most common counters in Japanese. It is used for objects where the defining characteristic is being thin and flat.

Commonly counted items:

  • Paper products: Paper, tickets, stamps, postcards, photographs.
  • Kitchenware: Empty plates, saucers, trays.
  • Clothing & Bedding: T-shirts, sweaters, shirts, towels, blankets, and sheets.
  • Food: Whole pizzas, slices of bread, ham, or cheese.
  • Technology: CDs, DVDs, and SIM cards.
  • Nature & Money: Leaves, petals, and coins.

Counting Chart:
1: 一枚（いちまい）
2: 二枚（にまい）
3: 三枚（さんまい）
4: 四枚（よんまい）
5: 五枚（ごまい）
6: 六枚（ろくまい）
7: 七枚（ななまい / しちまい）
8: 八枚（はちまい）
9: 九枚（きゅうまい）
10: 十枚（じゅうまい）
Question: 何枚（なんまい）

Important Distinctions:
While a book is made of paper, you do not use 枚（まい） to count the book itself; you use 冊（さつ）. 枚（まい） is used for the individual pages inside. Similarly, while a tablet or TV is flat, they are counted with 台（だい） because they are functional machines. Finally, while empty plates are counted with 枚（まい）, servings of food on plates are often counted with the counter 皿（さら）.

Examples (5)

  1. 切手を三枚ください。

    Three stamps, please.

    Word by Word: Stamps (object) three-flat-objects please.

    Stamps are small, flat pieces of paper, so 枚 is the correct counter.

  2. 写真を五枚撮りました。

    I took five photos.

    Word by Word: Photos (object) five-flat-objects took.

    Photographs are considered flat objects.

  3. このシャツを二枚買いました。

    I bought two of these shirts.

    Word by Word: This shirt (object) two-flat-objects bought.

    Clothing like shirts and T-shirts are counted with 枚 because they are thin and can be folded flat.

  4. パンを八枚食べました。

    I ate eight slices of bread.

    Word by Word: Bread (object) eight-flat-objects ate.

    枚 is used for thin, flat slices of food like bread or ham.

  5. チケットは何枚ありますか。

    How many tickets are there?

    Word by Word: Tickets (topic) how-many-flat-objects exist?

    何枚 is the question form used to ask 'how many' for flat objects.

Common Mistakes

  • Using sound changes like いっぱい or ろくまい with a double consonant.

    切手を一っぱいください。
    切手を一枚ください。

    Unlike counters like 本（ほん） or 匹（ひき）, 枚（まい） never changes its sound. It is always いちまい, さんまい, ろくまい, etc.

  • Using 枚（まい） for books or notebooks.

    本を二枚読みました。
    本を二冊読みました。

    Even though books are made of paper, bound volumes use the counter 冊（さつ）. 枚（まい） is only for the individual sheets of paper.

  • Using 枚（まい） for flat electronic devices like tablets.

    iPadを一枚持っています。
    iPadを一台持っています。

    Electronic devices and machines use 台（だい）, even if they are physically flat like a tablet or a flat-screen TV.

How It Connects

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

枚Level 1Counter for Flat Objects

Learn This First

To learn the counter 'mai', you need a basic understanding of kanji for numbers and the character itself. Additionally, you should be familiar with the general concept of Japanese counters (like 'tsu') and how to ask questions about quantity.

Words in This Pattern

枚