〜枚(まい)

まい

counter

counter for flat objects

1. counter for flat, thin objects

Used to count flat, thin objects such as paper, plates, shirts, tickets, photos, CDs, and sliced items.

紙(かみ)が三枚(さんまい)あります。

There are three sheets of paper.

写真(しゃしん)を五枚(ごまい)撮(と)りました。

I took five photos.

シャツを何枚(なんまい)持(も)っていますか。

How many shirts do you have?

お皿(さら)を四枚(よんまい)出(だ)してください。

Please take out four plates.

旅行(りょこう)の写真(しゃしん)を百枚(ひゃくまい)も撮(と)ったので、友達(ともだち)に見(み)せたいです。

I took as many as a hundred photos on my trip, so I want to show them to my friends.

〜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
CD, DVD
布団(ふとん): futons
ピザ (slices)

COUNTING:

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.

NOTE: For bound paper (books, notebooks), use 〜冊(さつ) instead.

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Added 2026.1.7 21:18 · Revised 2026.5.12 23:11

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