(ろっぽん)

ろっぽん
noun
six (long, thin objects)
1. six (long, thin objects)
A count of six items using the counter (ほん), which applies to long, thin objects such as pens, bottles, sticks, trees, films, calls, and roads.
ビールを六本(ろっぽん)()った。
I bought six bottles of beer.
ペンが(つくえ)(うえ)六本(ろっぽん)(なら)んでいる。
Six pens are lined up on the desk.
(いえ)(まわ)りには(おお)きな(まつ)()六本(ろっぽん)()えられている。
There are six large pine trees planted around the house.

(ろく) (six) + (ほん) (counter for long, thin items), with sokuon and the regular (ぽん)(ぽん) change yielding ろっぽん.

SOUND CHANGES WITH (ほん):

  • 一本(いっぽん), 二本(にほん), 三本(さんぼん), 四本(よんほん), 五本(ごほん), 六本(ろっぽん), 七本(ななほん), 八本(はっぽん), 九本(きゅうほん), 十本(じゅっぽん) / 十本(じっぽん)

The ぽん/ぼん/ほん alternation follows the same pattern as other counters using (ほん).

TYPICAL USES:

  • ビール六本(ろっぽん): six bottles of beer
  • 鉛筆(えんぴつ)六本(ろっぽん): six pencils
  • 映画(えいが)六本(ろっぽん): six films
  • 電話(でんわ)六本(ろっぽん): six phone calls

NOTE: 六本木(ろっぽんぎ) (Roppongi, a district in Tokyo) literally means 'six trees' and uses this same counter.