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Counting Large Animals

Japanese Counter for Large Animals (頭) – Horses, Cows, etc

Learn how to count large animals in Japanese using 頭

Counting Large Animals in Japanese

In Japanese, large animals are commonly counted using the counter 「頭」(とう / tou).

This counter is used for large animals such as cows, horses, elephants, whales, and other livestock animals.

Basic Pattern
Most numbers follow the simple pattern:
number + 頭

Examples:
1頭 (いっとう / ittou)
2頭 (にとう / nitou)
3頭 (さんとう / santou)

Common Usage
牛が三頭います。 (ushi ga santou imasu)
Meaning: There are three cows.

This counter is mainly used in agriculture, farming, and when referring to large animals.
1
一頭
Hiragana
いっとう
Romaji
ittou
Meaning
one large animal
2
二頭
Hiragana
にとう
Romaji
nitou
Meaning
two large animals
3
三頭
Hiragana
さんとう
Romaji
santou
Meaning
three large animals
4
四頭
Hiragana
よんとう / しとう
Romaji
yontou / shitou
Meaning
four large animals
5
五頭
Hiragana
ごとう
Romaji
gotou
Meaning
five large animals
6
六頭
Hiragana
ろくとう
Romaji
rokutou
Meaning
six large animals
7
七頭
Hiragana
ななとう / しちとう
Romaji
nanatou / shichitou
Meaning
seven large animals
8
八頭
Hiragana
はっとう / はちとう
Romaji
hattou / hachitou
Meaning
eight large animals
9
九頭
Hiragana
きゅうとう / くとう
Romaji
kyuutou / kutou
Meaning
nine large animals
10
十頭
Hiragana
じゅっとう / じっとう
Romaji
juttou / jittou
Meaning
ten large animals
11
十一頭
Hiragana
じゅういっとう
Romaji
juuittou
Meaning
eleven large animals
12
十二頭
Hiragana
じゅうにとう
Romaji
juunitou
Meaning
twelve large animals
13
十三頭
Hiragana
じゅうさんとう
Romaji
juusantou
Meaning
thirteen large animals
14
十四頭
Hiragana
じゅうよんとう / じゅうしとう
Romaji
juuyontou / juushitou
Meaning
fourteen large animals
15
十五頭
Hiragana
じゅうごとう
Romaji
juugotou
Meaning
fifteen large animals
16
十六頭
Hiragana
じゅうろくとう
Romaji
juurokutou
Meaning
sixteen large animals
17
十七頭
Hiragana
じゅうななとう / じゅうしちとう
Romaji
juunanatou / juushichitou
Meaning
seventeen large animals
18
十八頭
Hiragana
じゅうはっとう / じゅうはちとう
Romaji
juuhattou / juuhachitou
Meaning
eighteen large animals
19
十九頭
Hiragana
じゅうきゅうとう
Romaji
juukyuutou
Meaning
nineteen large animals
20
二十頭
Hiragana
にじゅっとう / にじっとう
Romaji
nijuttou / nijittou
Meaning
twenty large animals
牧場に牛が一頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうしがいっとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni ushi ga ittou imasu
Meaning
There is one cow on the farm.
牧場で牛を二頭見ました。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうでうしをにとうみました。
Romaji
bokujou de ushi o nitou mimashita
Meaning
I saw two cows on the farm.
牧場に馬が三頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうまがさんとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni uma ga santou imasu
Meaning
There are three horses on the farm.
動物園で象を四頭見ました。
Hiragana
どうぶつえんでぞうをよんとうみました。
Romaji
doubutsuen de zou o yontou mimashita
Meaning
I saw four elephants at the zoo.
牧場に牛が五頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうしがごとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni ushi ga gotou imasu
Meaning
There are five cows on the farm.
牧場で馬を六頭飼っています。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうでうまをろくとうかっています。
Romaji
bokujou de uma o rokutou katteimasu
Meaning
We keep six horses on the farm.
牧場に牛が七頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうしがななとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni ushi ga nanatou imasu
Meaning
There are seven cows on the farm.
動物園で象を八頭見ました。
Hiragana
どうぶつえんでぞうをはちとうみました。
Romaji
doubutsuen de zou o hachitou mimashita
Meaning
I saw eight elephants at the zoo.
牧場に馬が九頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうまがきゅうとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni uma ga kyuutou imasu
Meaning
There are nine horses on the farm.
牧場に牛が十頭います。
Hiragana
ぼくじょうにうしがじゅっとういます。
Romaji
bokujou ni ushi ga juttou imasu
Meaning
There are ten cows on the farm.

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