合(ごう)

ごう
counter
gō (≈180 ml; traditional volume unit, esp. for rice and sake)
measurementfood
1. gō; traditional unit of volume (≈180 ml)
A traditional Japanese unit of volume, approximately 180 milliliters. Most commonly used for measuring uncooked rice when cooking and for serving sake. Ten 合(ごう) make one 升(しょう).
米(こめ)を二合(にごう)炊(た)いた。
I cooked two gō of rice.
今晩(こんばん)は日本酒(にほんしゅ)を一合(いちごう)飲(の)んだ。
I drank one gō of sake tonight.
家族(かぞく)四人分(よにんぶん)なら三合(さんごう)炊(た)けば足(た)りる。
Three gō of rice is enough for a family of four.
2. tenth of the way up a mountain (counter for mountain-climbing stages)
A counter dividing a mountain's height into ten stages from base to summit. Famously used for Mt. Fuji, where stations are labeled 一合目(いちごうめ) through 十合目(じゅうごうめ) (the summit).
富士山(ふじさん)の五合目(ごごうめ)まで車(くるま)で上(あ)がった。
I drove up to the fifth station of Mt. Fuji.
八合目(はちごうめ)を過(す)ぎると空気(くうき)が薄(うす)くなってきた。
Past the eighth station, the air started getting thin.
山小屋(やまごや)は七合目(しちごうめ)と八合目(はちごうめ)の間(あいだ)にある。
The mountain hut is between the seventh and eighth stations.

Part of the traditional Japanese measurement system (尺貫法(しゃっかんほう)). One 合(ごう) ≈ 180 ml; one cup of uncooked rice is roughly one 合(ごう), the standard amount measured by rice cookers.

Volume hierarchy

Counting patterns

  • 一合(いちごう), 二合(にごう), 三合(さんごう), 四合(よんごう), 五合(ごごう)

Mountain stations

The sense-2 usage with 目(め) (一合目(いちごうめ) etc.) divides mountain ascent into ten roughly equal sections. The 五合目(ごごうめ) of Mt. Fuji is the standard starting point for most modern climbers.

Modern use

Sense 1 is still everyday vocabulary because rice is sold and cooked by the 合(ごう), even though most other foods use metric measures. Sake is also commonly served by the 合(ごう) at traditional restaurants.

Related Words

Related: 四合瓶(よんごうびん) (720ml bottle)
general
Added 2026.5.15 12:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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