Customer: Can I buy nihon (two books) with my credit card? / Okyaku: Nihon, kurejitto ka-do de kaemasu ka. Shop assistant: Wow! You want to buy Japan? /Tennin: E! Nihon wo kaundesu ka. Customer: Two books, so that’s nihon, am I wrong？ /Okyaku: Tsu-bukkusu dakara 2 hon deshou. Okashii desu ka. Shop assistant: Books are counted by adding “satsu,” for example: issatsu, nisatsu. /Tennin: Hon ha satsu wo tsukete kazoemasu. Tatoeba, 1 satsu, 2 satsu to. Customer: Honto (Really)? /Okyaku: Honto? Shop assistant: “Hon” is used for things like beer bottles. /Tennin: "Hon" ha bi-ru bin nado ni tsukaimasu. Customer: For two bottle of beers, do you say “nippon” or “nihon”? /Okyaku: Bi-ru 2 hon ha "nippon" desuka, "nihon" desu ka. Shop assistant: You really want to buy “nihon,” don’t you? /Tennin: Anata ha doushitemo “nihon” kaitai no desu ne. Manga Explanation: Scene 1. At a bookstore counter. A non-Japanese man is trying to purchase two books. Scene 2. When you count numbers, a counter is added. In English you mention the items you are referring to – for example, “two cars” and “three apples” – but in Japanese different counters are used depending on the kind of item counted, for instance, “kuruma ni dai” (two cars) and “ringo san ko” (three apples). In the case of books, “satsu,” not “hon,” is used. Scene 3. The shop assistant explains that “satsu” is used as a counter for books. Hearing this the non-Japanese customer says “honto?” It is a pun on the word “hon” (book). Scene 4. The counter for tall items such as beer bottles and pens is “hon.” However, it’s pronounced differently depending on the number, for example: ippon, nihon, sanbon…