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Suppose I want to ask for two pairs of chopsticks for myself and someone I'm
with.

Does `お箸【はし】を二【ふた】つください` mean I'm asking for two chopsticks or two sets of
chopsticks? (Also, am I using the right counter? I'm learning from Duolingo
here..)

Can it change for other objects and their respective counters? Are there maybe
other words often used to avoid confusion about some x quantities of a thing?
I see this misunderstanding in English a bit too much, and I'm wondering if it
happens in Japanese too.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-28T22:52:25.933
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2017-07-29T16:45:51.870
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meaning counters
Counters + inherently plural items
In your sentence お[箸]{はし}を[二]{ふた}つください, you're not using any counter.

ぜん is the counter for a set (or pair) of chopsticks. So, you can make clear
your meaning by using this counter. Alternatively, let's say you want three
chopsticks (for whatever reason), then you can use the counter ほん for long
slender things. Though I imagine if you ask, "はしを三本ください" you'll probably get
quizzical looks--perhaps they'll even think you mean three sets and just got
the counter wrong.

Nevertheless, if you say "はしをにほんください", you'll probably be given two chopsticks
(assuming they're not the 割{わ}り箸{ばし}). Definitely, if you ask "はしをにぜんください"
you'll get two pair of chopsticks.
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2017-07-28T23:33:20.580
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2017-07-28T23:40:20.033
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> Does お箸を二つください mean I'm asking for two chopsticks or two sets of chopsticks?
> (Also, am I using the right counter? I'm learning from Duolingo here..)

When we need to specify how many, お箸ふたつ ください／もらえますか／いただけますか is the common way
to ask for two pairs of chopsticks.

It's possible to say 六本のおはしはみっつのおはし though we probably never need to say it.

In Japanese, we take a pair of things that are usually used together as one
object.

We call a pair of shoes 一足{いっそく}のくつ.  
We have the word, 片方{かたほう} to mean one of a pair of something.  
We say 一対{いっつい}の, 一組{ひとくみ}の when we want to especially describe a pair of
something as a pair (actually 一組 means a group, and can include any numbers of
things or people).

The whole pair of scissors is one はさみ to us. The whole pair of eyeglasses is
one めがね to us.
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2017-07-29T16:45:51.870
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