六つ

Japanese JLPT N5 Vocabulary Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral むっつmuttsu
Reading むっつ
Romaji muttsu
Kanji breakdown 六 (mu) — six; つ is a native counter suffix
Pronunciation /mɯt.tsɯ/

Meaning

Six (things). The native Japanese counter for six, used for general objects.

Part of the native Japanese counting system. Uses the む reading of 六 with gemination (むっ). Less frequently encountered than the lower numbers in daily conversation, but still standard when using the native counting system for general items.

Examples

  1. たまごが六つ残っています。 There are six eggs left.
  2. 六つの窓がある部屋です。 It's a room with six windows.
  3. お皿を六つ並べてください。 Please set out six plates.

Usage Guide

Context: counting objects, daily life, cooking

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the native Japanese む (six) plus the counter suffix つ. The geminated form むっつ developed for phonetic ease in natural speech.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

一 One; 1. The most basic number in Japanese. 一つ One (thing). The native Japanese counter for one, used for general objects. 七 Seven; 7. A culturally significant number in Japan. 万 Ten thousand; 10,000. A fundamental large number unit unique to the Japanese counting system. 三 Three; 3. A number with cultural significance in Japan. 三つ Three (things). The native Japanese counter for three, used for general objects. 九 Nine; 9. The highest single digit, with two common readings. 二 Two; 2. A fundamental number used in counting and everyday contexts.
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