～頭
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Counter suffix used to count animals, especially large ones. Attach to numbers: e.g., 『一頭』 (ittou, 'one animal'), 『二頭』 (nitou, 'two animals'). Irregular readings: 『一頭』 is ittou, not ichitou. Must pair with a number; cannot stand alone. Example: 『馬が五頭います』 (uma ga gotou imasu, 'There are five horses').
Theme
User is visiting a friend, Kenji, at his home, and they are talking about Kenji's pets. They are discussing how many animals he has and their care.
～頭
～とう
counter for animals
Nature & EnvironmentAnimals
Memory Hook
Think of an animal's 'head' — each animal has one head, so 『～頭』 (～tou, 'counter for animals') counts animals by their heads. 'Tou' sounds like 'tow' — imagine towing animals one by one, counting each head!
Cultural Note
『～頭』 (～tou, 'counter for animals') is used for counting large animals like cows, horses, or elephants in Japanese. For example, 『牛三頭』 (ushi santou, 'three cows'). It's a common counter in agriculture, zoos, and veterinary contexts.
Forms
Base: ～頭Counter suffix used to count animals, especially large ones. Attach to numbers: e.g., 『一頭』 (ittou, 'one animal'), 『二頭』 (nitou, 'two animals'). Irregular readings: 『一頭』 is ittou, not ichitou. Must pair with a number; cannot stand alone. Example: 『馬が五頭います』 (uma ga gotou imasu, 'There are five horses').