〜枚(まい)

〜枚(まい) is a counter for thin, flat objects. One of the most common counters in Japanese.

What IT counts

• 紙(かみ): paper
• 写真(しゃしん): photos
• 皿(さら): plates
• 切符(きっぷ): tickets
• シャツ: shirts and other flat-folding garments
• CD, DVD
• 布団(ふとん): futons
• ピザ (slices)

Counting patterns

• 一枚(いちまい), 二枚(にまい), 三枚(さんまい), 四枚(よんまい), 五枚(ごまい)
• 六枚(ろくまい), 七枚(ななまい), 八枚(はちまい), 九枚(きゅうまい), 十枚(じゅうまい)
• 何枚(なんまい): how many (flat things)?

No sound changes occur with this counter.

Similar words

• 〜冊(さつ) takes over once the paper is bound: loose sheets are 一枚(いちまい), a notebook is 一冊(いっさつ).
• 〜本(ほん) is the shape opposite — long and thin rather than wide and thin. A rolled-up poster is still 一枚(いちまい), because what matters is the object's own shape, not how it is stored.
• 〜個(こ) is the fallback for small objects with no clear flat dimension.