Even foods we see and eat every day have various ways of being counted in Japanese.

🥢 Tofu is counted as “1丁（1 chō）”
Tofu is generally counted as “1丁（1 chō）” rather than “1個（1 piece）.”

🦀 Is a crab “1匹（1 hiki）” or “1杯（1 pai）”?
Live crabs are counted as “1匹（1 hiki）”, while crabs served as food are sometimes counted as “1杯（1 pai）.”

🥬 Cabbage is counted as “1玉（1 tama）”
Round vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce are counted as “1玉（1 tama）1 tama.” On the other hand, broccoli is counted as “1株 (1 kabu).”

🍞 Bread is counted as “1斤（1 kin）”
A whole loaf of bread is counted as “1斤（1 kin）1 kin,” while each slice is counted as “1枚（1 mai）.”

Some Japanese counters are related to the shape or condition of an item, as well as traditional customs.
Learning how to count things in Japanese helps expand your Japanese expressions!