杯 (hai/pai/bai): Counting Cups and Glasses
Quick Answer: 杯 counts liquid in cups/glasses/bowls and by extension the containers themselves: cups of coffee, glasses of water, bowls of rice/ramen.
Drinks, bowls of food, and things in containers
Category: Counters
The Rule
杯 counts liquid in cups/glasses/bowls and by extension the containers themselves: cups of coffee, glasses of water, bowls of rice/ramen. Sound changes: 1 = いっぱい, 3 = さんばい, 6 = ろっぱい, 8 = はっぱい, 10 = じゅっぱい.
Why This Matters
杯 literally means 'cup/vessel.' It counts portions served in a drinking/eating container. Ordering at restaurants frequently uses this counter. The sound changes follow the same pattern as 匹 and 本, making them predictable once you know the pattern.
Examples
• コーヒーを一杯ください。 — "One cup of coffee, please." [いっぱい = 1 cup (most common ordering phrase)] • ビールを三杯飲みました。 — "I drank three glasses of beer." [さんばい = 3 glasses (ん + はい → ばい)] • ラーメンを二杯食べた。 — "I ate two bowls of ramen." [にはい = 2 bowls — 杯 works for bowls of food too] • お茶もう一杯いかがですか？ — "Would you like another cup of tea?" [もう一杯 = one more cup — very common phrase]
Common Mistakes
❌ いちはい ✅ いっぱい → 1 cup: いち + はい → いっぱい. Same sound change pattern as 匹 and 本. Note: いっぱい also means 'full/a lot' as a separate word ❌ ペットボトルの水を一杯 ✅ ペットボトルの水を一本 → 杯 is for drinks in open cups/glasses. Bottled drinks use 本 (cylindrical container)
Quick Tip
杯 sound changes are identical to 匹/本: 1 いっぱい, 3 さんばい, 6 ろっぱい, 8 はっぱい, 10 じゅっぱい. Fun fact: いっぱい (one cup) and いっぱい (full/lots) are spelled the same but different words!
杯 sound changes are identical to 匹/本: 1 いっぱい, 3 さんばい, 6 ろっぱい, 8 はっぱい, 10 じゅっぱい. Fun fact: いっぱい (one cup) and いっぱい (full/lots) are spelled the same but different words!
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: いちはい → Correct: いっぱい. 1 cup: いち + はい → いっぱい. Same sound change pattern as 匹 and 本. Note: いっぱい also means 'full/a lot' as a separate word
Incorrect: ペットボトルの水を一杯 → Correct: ペットボトルの水を一本. 杯 is for drinks in open cups/glasses. Bottled drinks use 本 (cylindrical container)
Quiz
How do you order 'two bowls of rice' at a restaurant?