Since beginning to write this series of articles, I have had a little uncertainness. I always use a word, "counter" for Japanese 「助数詞」. But is this right, I wonder? Should I use "numeral suffix"?
Anyway, I explain 「台（ダイ, dai）」, today.
Its pronunciation resembles English "dye" and "die". Please do not speak it like "day".
「台」 is originally a common noun meaning some tools on which we can put something (載せる：のせる：noseru) or which we can mount （乗る：のる：noru）. It is a kind of tower, platform, pedestal or table. That is the fundamental impression of 「台」 as a common noun, and have a great influence on 「台」's function as a counter, too. In my opinion, Japanese people have a tendency to use the counter 「台」 for machinery and something large, therefore can be put on the earth or floor. I think the reason why we apply the counter 「台」 to machinery may come from cars or clocks. Cars are a machine that people can climb up into to ride, too. Or, the Japanese influential person might display the very precious clock gifted by an European missionary on a 「台」 in "tokonoma", the traditional desplaying alcove long time ago. I cannot determine one from them, however, please remember 「台」 has a deep relation to machinery when counting now.
We usually use the counter 「台」 for machinery like clocks, phones, facsimiles, cellphones, radios, TVs, videos, cameras, computers, microwave ovens, blenders, refrigerators, irons, sewing machines, washing machines, vacuum-cleaners, air conditioners and so on, or the other machine tools for professional use. Or, we use it for some European musical instruments which are larger and are put on the floor like pianos, timpani and harps. Also, we use it when counting some vehicles like bicycles, motorcycles and cars which include buses, taxis, trucks and so on as well as family cars. As for cars, we never apply 「台」 to every car of trains. It has the other counter. Moreover, younger people have applied 「台」 to some larger furniture which has four legs like tables, desks and beds except for some kinds of chairs recently. Although I have a sense of incongruity about it, I must tell you this usage becomes popular now.
* We usually write 「ケータイ」, although the formal katakana spellings of 「携帯」 is 「ケイタイ」.
** We usually write 「洗濯機」 with kanji. If we must write it with katakana, it should be 「センタクキ」, the formal spellings. However, we often pronounce it as 「センタッキ」 actually.
The forward number is based on the Chinese style pronunciations, except for 4 and 7, because the pronunciation 「台（ダイ, dai）」 is the Chinese syle one, too.
The standard number list used for 「台」 is below;
Remember ? If not, please review "How to count things (1) number (1)".
You can add 「台」 to the standard numbers simply. It is easy, isn't it?
However, "0" is very particular. If you come across the Arabic writing, "0" or "0台", you can speak it "zero" or "zero dai" as well as "rei" or "rei dai". However, "零" and "零台" can be adapted to only "rei" and "rei dai". I would like you to remember that the pronunciation "zero" is from English, although every Kanji is pronunced by the Chinese or Japanese style pronunciation.
Please review "How to count things (8) counters (1) ban(me)".
Thank you for reading!
Sorry for my poor English.
If you have any questions, take it easy to ask me!
Also, I would like you to correct my errors, if you could.
Anyway, I explain 「台（ダイ, dai）」, today.
Its pronunciation resembles English "dye" and "die". Please do not speak it like "day".
「台」 is originally a common noun meaning some tools on which we can put something (載せる：のせる：noseru) or which we can mount （乗る：のる：noru）. It is a kind of tower, platform, pedestal or table. That is the fundamental impression of 「台」 as a common noun, and have a great influence on 「台」's function as a counter, too. In my opinion, Japanese people have a tendency to use the counter 「台」 for machinery and something large, therefore can be put on the earth or floor. I think the reason why we apply the counter 「台」 to machinery may come from cars or clocks. Cars are a machine that people can climb up into to ride, too. Or, the Japanese influential person might display the very precious clock gifted by an European missionary on a 「台」 in "tokonoma", the traditional desplaying alcove long time ago. I cannot determine one from them, however, please remember 「台」 has a deep relation to machinery when counting now.
We usually use the counter 「台」 for machinery like clocks, phones, facsimiles, cellphones, radios, TVs, videos, cameras, computers, microwave ovens, blenders, refrigerators, irons, sewing machines, washing machines, vacuum-cleaners, air conditioners and so on, or the other machine tools for professional use. Or, we use it for some European musical instruments which are larger and are put on the floor like pianos, timpani and harps. Also, we use it when counting some vehicles like bicycles, motorcycles and cars which include buses, taxis, trucks and so on as well as family cars. As for cars, we never apply 「台」 to every car of trains. It has the other counter. Moreover, younger people have applied 「台」 to some larger furniture which has four legs like tables, desks and beds except for some kinds of chairs recently. Although I have a sense of incongruity about it, I must tell you this usage becomes popular now.
| clock | 時計 | トケイ | toke- | |
| phone | 電話 | デンワ | denwa | |
| facsimile | ファックス ファクシミリ | fakkusu fakushimiri | ||
| cellphone | 携帯 携帯電話 | ケイタイ* ケイタイデンワ | ke-tai ke-taidenwa | |
| radio | ラジオ | rajio | ||
| TV | テレビ | terebi | ||
| video | ビデオ | bideo | ||
| camera | カメラ | kamera | ||
| computer | パソコン コンピューター | pasokon kompyu-ta- | ||
| microwave oven | レンジ 電子レンジ | デンシレンジ | renji denshirenji | |
| blender | ミキサー | mikisa- | ||
| refrigerator | 冷蔵庫 | レイゾウコ | re-zo-ko | |
| iron | アイロン | airon | ||
| sewing machine | ミシン | mishin | ||
| washing machine | 洗濯機 | センタクキ | sentakki ** | |
| vacuum-cleaner | 掃除機 | ソウジキ | so-jiki | |
| air conditioner | エアコン | eakon | ||
| piano | ピアノ | piano | ||
| timpani | ティンパニー | tinpani- | ||
| harp | ハープ | ha-pu | ||
| bicycle | 自転車 | ジテンシャ | jitensha | |
| motorcycle | バイク オートバイ | baiku o-tobai | ||
| car | 車 自動車 | くるま ジドウシャ | kuruma jido-sha | |
| bus | バス | basu | ||
| taxi | タクシー | takushi- | ||
| truck | トラック | torakku | ||
| family car | 車 自家用車 | くるま ジカヨウシャ | kuruma jikayo-sha | |
| table | テーブル | te-buru | ||
| desk | 机 | つくえ | tsukue | |
| bed | ベッド | beddo |
* We usually write 「ケータイ」, although the formal katakana spellings of 「携帯」 is 「ケイタイ」.
** We usually write 「洗濯機」 with kanji. If we must write it with katakana, it should be 「センタクキ」, the formal spellings. However, we often pronounce it as 「センタッキ」 actually.
The forward number is based on the Chinese style pronunciations, except for 4 and 7, because the pronunciation 「台（ダイ, dai）」 is the Chinese syle one, too.
The standard number list used for 「台」 is below;
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 一 | 二 | 三 | 四 | 五 | 六 | 七 | 八 | 九 | 十 | |
| ゼロ | イチ | ニ | サン | よん | ゴ | ロク | なな | ハチ | キュウ（ク） | ジュウ |
| zero | ichi | ni | san | yon | go | roku | nana | hachi | kyu-(ku) | ju- |
Remember ? If not, please review "How to count things (1) number (1)".
| 0 （ゼロ） | → | 零台 | レイダイ／ゼロダイ | rei dai / zero dai |
| 1 （イチ） | → | 一台 | イチダイ | ichi dai |
| 2 （ニ） | → | 二台 | ニダイ | ni dai |
| 3 （サン） | → | 三台 | サンダイ | san dai |
| 4 （よん） | → | 四台 | よんダイ | yon dai |
| 5 （ゴ） | → | 五台 | ゴダイ | go dai |
| 6 （ロク） | → | 六台 | ロクダイ | roku dai |
| 7 （なな） | → | 七台 | ななダイ | nana dai |
| 8 （ハチ） | → | 八台 | ハチダイ | hachi dai |
| 9 （キュウ） | → | 九台 | キュウダイ | kyu- dai |
You can add 「台」 to the standard numbers simply. It is easy, isn't it?
However, "0" is very particular. If you come across the Arabic writing, "0" or "0台", you can speak it "zero" or "zero dai" as well as "rei" or "rei dai". However, "零" and "零台" can be adapted to only "rei" and "rei dai". I would like you to remember that the pronunciation "zero" is from English, although every Kanji is pronunced by the Chinese or Japanese style pronunciation.
Please review "How to count things (8) counters (1) ban(me)".
| 10 （ジュウ） | → | 十台 | ジュウダイ | ju- dai |
| 11 （ジュウイチ） | → | 十一台 | ジュウイチダイ | ju-ichi dai |
| 12 （ジュウニ） | → | 十二台 | ジュウニダイ | ju-ni dai |
| 13 （ジュウサン） | → | 十三台 | ジュウサンダイ | ju-san dai |
| 14 （ジュウよん） | → | 十四台 | ジュウよんダイ | ju-yon dai |
| 15 （ジュウゴ） | → | 十五台 | ジュウゴダイ | ju-go dai |
| 16 （ジュウロク） | → | 十六台 | ジュウロクダイ | ju-roku dai |
| 17 （ジュウなな） | → | 十七台 | ジュウななダイ | ju-nana dai |
| 18 （ジュウハチ） | → | 十八台 | ジュウハチダイ | ju-hachi dai |
| 19 （ジュウキュウ） | → | 十九台 | ジュウキュウダイ | ju-kyu- dai |
| 20 （ニジュウ） | → | 二十台 | ニジュウダイ | niju- dai |
| 30 （サンジュウ） | → | 三十台 | サンジュウダイ | sanju- dai |
| 40 （よんジュウ） | → | 四十台 | よんジュウダイ | yonju- dai |
| 50 （ゴジュウ） | → | 五十台 | ゴジュウダイ | goju- dai |
| 60 （ロクジュウ） | → | 六十台 | ロクジュウダイ | rokuju- dai |
| 70 （ななジュウ） | → | 七十台 | ななジュウダイ | nanaju- dai |
| 80 （ハチジュウ） | → | 八十台 | ハチジュウダイ | hachiju- dai |
| 90 （キュウジュウ） | → | 九十台 | キュウジュウダイ | kyu-ju- dai |
| 100 （ヒャク） | → | 百台 | ヒャクダイ | hyaku dai |
| 1000 （（イッ）セン） | → | （一）千台 | （イッ）センダイ | (is)sen dai |
| 10000 （イチマン） | → | 一万台 | イチマンダイ | ichiman dai |
| 100000000 （イチオク） | → | 一億台 | イチオクダイ | ichioku dai |
Thank you for reading!
Sorry for my poor English.
If you have any questions, take it easy to ask me!
Also, I would like you to correct my errors, if you could.
How to count things (1) number (1)
How to count things (9) counters (2) mai
