Editing Japanese counter word (section)

== Substitution of counters ==
In Japanese, virtually all nouns must use a counter to express number because Japanese lacks singular/plural morphology.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-007-2681-9|title=Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language|date=2012|publisher=Springer Netherlands|isbn=978-94-007-2680-2|editor-last=Keenan|editor-first=Edward L.|series=Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy|volume=90|location=Dordrecht|doi=10.1007/978-94-007-2681-9|editor-last2=Paperno|editor-first2=Denis}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In this sense, virtually all Japanese nouns are [[mass noun]]s. This grammatical feature can result in situations where one is unable to express the number of a particular object in a syntactically correct way because one does not know, or cannot remember, the appropriate counting word. With quantities from one to ten, this problem can often be sidestepped by using the traditional numerals (see below), which can quantify many nouns without help. For example, "four apples" is {{lang|ja|りんご四個}} {{translit|ja|ringo yonko}} where {{wikt-lang|ja|個}} {{translit|ja|ko}} is the counter, but can also be expressed, using the traditional numeral four, as {{lang|ja|りんご四つ}} {{translit|ja|ringo yottsu}}.  These traditional numerals cannot be used to count all nouns, however; some, including nouns for people and animals, require a proper counter (except for 1 and 2 people, which virtually always use variants of the traditional numerals; see [[#Exceptions|exceptions]]).

Some of the more common counters may substitute for less common ones. For example, {{lang|ja|匹}} {{translit|ja|hiki}} (see below) is often used for all animals, regardless of size. However, many speakers will prefer to use the traditionally correct counter, {{lang|ja|頭}} {{translit|ja|tō}}, when speaking of larger animals such as horses. This yields a range of possible counters, with differing degrees of usage and acceptability – for example, when ordering [[kushikatsu]] (fried skewers), one may order them as {{lang|ja|二串}} {{translit|ja|futa-kushi}} (two skewers), {{lang|ja|二本}} {{translit|ja|ni-hon}} (two sticks), or {{lang|ja|二つ}} {{translit|ja|futa-tsu}} (two items), in decreasing order of precision.

Counters may be intentionally misused for humorous, stupid, or insulting effects. For example, the phrase {{lang|ja|男一匹}} {{translit|ja|otoko ippiki}} ("one man [like an animal]"), uses {{lang|ja|匹}} {{translit|ja|hiki}}, the counter for animals, instead of the typical counters for people.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ja:男一匹とは |trans-title=What is 'otoko ippiki'? |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%94%B7%E4%B8%80%E5%8C%B9-453322 |access-date=2023-01-10 |script-website=ja:コトバンク |publisher=日本国語大辞典 |language=ja |script-quote=ja:一人前の男子ということを強めていう語。また、しっかりした男。|trans-quote=Used to emphasize the idea of a fully fledged young man. Can also refer to a man with a strong character.}}</ref>