Usage of ～匹
The counter ～匹 (ひき) is used to count small animals such as cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, and insects. It is one of the most common counters for animals in everyday conversation.
How to use ～匹
Attach ～匹 directly after the number to indicate how many small animals there are. For example, 三匹 (さんびき) means "three small animals." Note that the pronunciation of the number changes slightly with ～匹, such as 一匹 (いっぴき), 二匹 (にひき), 三匹 (さんびき).
Common collocations
- 一匹 (いっぴき): one small animal
- 二匹 (にひき): two small animals
- 三匹 (さんびき): three small animals
- ～匹の猫 (～ひきのねこ): ～ small cats
Important notes
- ～匹 is not used for large animals like cows or horses; other counters like 頭 (とう) are used instead.
- Learners sometimes confuse ～匹 with ～羽 (わ) which is used for birds and rabbits. Remember ～匹 is for small animals generally excluding birds and rabbits.
- The pronunciation changes (like いっぴき for one) are important to memorize for natural speech.
Using ～匹 correctly will help you talk naturally about animals in Japanese.