箇

counter for things; item; place

Kanji 1054

Have you been confused about -箇 versus -個 as a counter? If so, you're not alone. This problem has existed for millennia! To complicate matters further, the Japanese generally replace -箇 with -か, -カ, -ヵ, -ケ, or -ヶ. And one doesn't even pronounce -ケ as け! This essay sorts out all such muddles and puts 箇 "in its place," showing how to use it to mean "place" and how to count places.

Revision history:

Feb. 3, 2022: 

• p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and the Sears link.
• p. 4: I removed links to products no longer available on Amazon, and I wrote notes about it on that page.
• p. 14: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

June 26, 2015: Originally published.