How to say "count" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 数えるかぞえるichidan verb, transitive verbThe verb for the act of counting or enumerating — tallying things one by one, such as money, people, or votes. When 'count' is a verb in English, this is the word.あの子は２０まで数えられる。↗That child can count to twenty.
- 回数かいすうnounA noun for the count as 'number of times' or frequency — how often or how many times something has happened, such as visits, attempts, or repetitions. It names the figure, not the act.
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe loanword for count or counting. In sports it is the term you hear — the count on a batter in baseball, the count over a downed boxer — and it can also mean a tally.
- 伯爵はくしゃくnounEntirely different sense: the noble title 'count', equivalent to an earl, for European aristocrats in history or fiction. It has nothing to do with tallying, so it is not the word for the counting senses.
- 総数そうすうnounA noun for the total number — the overall count of items, people, or entries once everything is tallied. Choose it when English 'count' means the final figure rather than the act of counting.
To count things one by one, use the verb 「数える」; for how many times, 回数; for a total figure, 総数; 「カウント」 is the loanword heard in sports and similar counting contexts; 伯爵 is only the noble title.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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