Japanese word

匹

Pronunciation

Romajihiki

Meaning

  • countercounter for small animals

Example

犬が一匹います。inu ga ichi hiki i ma su

There is one dog.

Illustration for 匹 (counter for small animals)

More examples

公園で三匹の犬を見ました。kō en de san hiki no inu o mi ma shi ta

I saw three dogs in the park.

Core concept

Treats each small animal as a distinct living unit when stating how many there are.

Common phrases

  • 三匹のうさぎsan hiki no u sa gi

    three rabbits

  • 犬一匹inu ichi hiki

    one dog

Similar words

頭atama: A counter for large animals such as horses and cattle.
羽hane: A counter for birds and sometimes rabbits.

Definition in Japanese

犬や猫など、比較的小さな動物の数を表す助数詞。inu ya neko na do hi kaku teki chii sa na dō butsu no kazu o arawa su jo sū shi

Word origin

The counter 匹 (hiki, "counter for small animals") is written with a kanji whose older meaning is "a pair" or "a matched set," linking the character to an early counting sense.

Usage tips

  • Japanese speakers commonly use 匹 (hiki) for pets and other small animals, while larger animals are often counted with 頭 (tō).

Word lists with this word