LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Lesson notes · Oct 8, 2026

Another in Japanese: もう一ひとつ, 他ほかの, or 別べつの?

"Another" has two jobs in English and two separate answers in Japanese: もう一ひとつ means "one more of the same thing," while 他ほかの and 別べつの mean "a different one."

English lets you say "I'd like another" and leave the listener to guess which kind you mean. Japanese makes you choose. If you pick the wrong one in a shop or restaurant, you get the exact same item back, or something you never asked for. This article sorts out the choice, with the situations where it matters most: ordering food and trying things on.

The basics

How do you say "one more" in Japanese?

Use もう plus a number and a counter: もう一ひとつ, もう一杯いっぱい, もう一人ひとり, もう一回いっかい. The もう here means "additionally," and the number says how many more.

すみません、もう一ひとつください。 — Excuse me, one more, please. (polite, ordering the same thing again) ビールをもう一杯いっぱいお願ねがいします。 — One more beer, please. (polite, at an izakaya) もう一人ひとり、来きます。 — One more person is coming. (polite, telling the host)

The thing you want more of stays the same. If you just ate one gyoza and say もう一ひとつ, you get another gyoza.

The counter changes with what you count. Cups and glasses take 杯はい, people take 人ひと, times take 回かい, and anything without a special counter takes つ. For the phrases that go around these orders at a real shop counter, see Akihabara shop phrases.

How do you say "a different one"?

Use 他ほかの or 別べつの before the noun. Both point away from what you have now.

他ほかの色いろはありますか。 — Do you have other colors? (polite, in a clothing shop) 別べつのをください。 — Please give me a different one. (polite, you want to switch) 別べつの日ひでもいいですか。 — Is a different day okay? (polite, rescheduling)

The noun can be dropped when it is obvious: 別べつのをください means "a different one, please," and the の stands in for the thing.

What is the difference between 他ほかの and 別べつの?

They overlap a lot, so here is the practical split.

  • 他ほかの means "other," as in the rest of a group. 他ほかの色いろ is "the other colors," meaning the remaining choices.
  • 別べつの means "separate" or "a different one," often one specific alternative. 別べつの色いろ is "a different color," often one you are about to name.

In a shop, you will hear and say either one. If you want to go deeper on the neighboring word 違ちがう, see different in Japanese: 違ちがう and 別べつ.

What you mean Japanese Feel Example
One more of the same もう一ひとつ Plain, everyday もう一ひとつください
One more cup or glass もう一杯いっぱい Plain, at a table もう一杯いっぱいお願ねがいします
One more person もう一人ひとり Plain もう一人ひとりいます
One more time もう一回いっかい Plain, spoken もう一回いっかい言いってください
A different one (from the rest) 他ほかの Neutral 他ほかの色いろはありますか
A different one (a separate choice) 別べつの Neutral 別べつのをください
Another time, later また今度こんど Soft, social また今度こんど行いきましょう

Where do you use this most?

Two scenes cover most of it: ordering and trying things on.

これ、もう一ひとつください。 — I'll have one more of these. (polite, same item again) これの色いろ違ちがいはありますか。 — Do you have this in another color? (polite, retail) ちょっと大おおきいです。他ほかのサイズはありますか。 — It's a little big. Do you have other sizes? (polite, fitting room)

Notice the logic. If you liked it, you ask for もう一ひとつ. If something is wrong with it, you ask for 他ほかの or 別べつの.

Beyond the basics

Can もう mean something other than "more"?

Yes, and this is the main reason もう feels slippery. もう also means "already" and "now" depending on context. For that other half of the word, read already and still in Japanese: もう and まだ. The test is simple: もう before a counter, like もう一ひとつ, means "additional." もう before a verb, like もう食たべました, means "already."

もう二ふたつください。 — Two more, please. (polite, any number works) もう食たべました。 — I've already eaten. (polite, a different もう)

What does もう一回いっかい mean compared to もう一度いちど and また?

もう一回いっかい and もう一度いちど both mean "one more time," with 一度いちど a bit more formal. また means "again" in a broader, repeated sense, as in coming back another day. That whole family is covered in again in Japanese: また, もう一度いちど.

もう一回いっかい、言いってください。 — Please say it one more time. (polite, asking someone to repeat) また来きます。 — I'll come again. (polite, leaving a shop)

How do you say "another time" when you decline an invitation?

Use また今度こんど. It is the soft, social way to say "let's do it another time." It does not give a date. In practice it is often a gentle way to decline, so a learner who hears it should not wait for a follow-up.

今日きょうはちょっと…また今度こんどお願ねがいします。 — Today is a bit difficult... another time, please. (polite, softly declining) また今度こんど、行いきましょう。 — Let's go another time. (polite, friendly, sometimes sincere and sometimes not)

If you want to actually pin down a different day, say so with 別べつの日ひ: 別べつの日ひはどうですか — "How about a different day?"

How do you say "one another"?

For "each other" or "one another," Japanese uses お互たがい. It is not related to もう or 他ほかの at all, which is why it trips people who translate word for word from English.

お互たがいに頑張がんばりましょう。 — Let's do our best, each of us. (polite, encouraging, mutual) お互たがい様さまです。 — It goes both ways. (polite, a common reply to thanks or apology)

How does the anime version sound?

In anime, もう一回いっかい and もう一ひとつ show up in short, clipped forms in scenes with food, battles, and competitions. A character wins a round and says もう一回いっかい to demand a rematch. A hungry character in a food scene calls for もう一杯いっぱい with the 杯はい stretched out. The grammar is the same as in the shop. What changes is the volume and the missing ください.

もう一回いっかい! — One more time! (casual, demanding a rematch) もう一杯いっぱい! — One more bowl! (casual, loud, a hungry character)

Those casual forms are fine with friends. In a real shop, add ください or お願ねがいします.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 他ほかの一ひとつ for "one more." It sounds logical, since 他ほか means "other," but 他ほかの一ひとつ means "one of the other ones," not "another of these." Use もう一ひとつ for more of the same.
  • Using もう一ひとつ when you want a different item. If you say もう一ひとつください after trying a size that did not fit, you will get another one in the same wrong size. Use 他ほかのサイズ or 別べつのをください.
  • Mixing up もう before a number and もう before a verb. もう一ひとつ is "one more." もう食たべました is "I already ate." Look at what follows.
  • Treating また今度こんど as a promise. It is a polite brush-off about as often as it is a real plan. If you mean it, name a day.
  • Translating "one another" as もう一ひとつ. It is お互たがい.

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 4 and 5 are a pair — the same shop, opposite requests.

1. You finished one gyoza and want one more of the same. What do you say?

Show answer

もう一ひとつください — もう plus a number and counter adds more of the same thing.

2. You want one more glass of beer. Which counter do you use?

Show answer

ビールをもう一杯いっぱいお願ねがいします — 杯はい is the counter for cups and glasses, so もう一杯いっぱい means one more glass.

3. A friend arrives late. How do you tell the host one more person is coming?

Show answer

もう一人ひとり、来きます — 人ひと is the counter for people.

4. You tried a shirt and loved it. You want a second one just like it.

Show answer

これ、もう一ひとつください — you want more of the same item, so use もう一ひとつ.

5. You tried a shirt and the color is wrong. Ask if there are other colors.

Show answer

他ほかの色いろはありますか — you want a different choice from the rest, so use 他ほかの, not もう一ひとつ.

6. What is wrong with 他ほかの一ひとつください as a way to ask for one more?

Show answer

It asks for a different item, not another of the same. 他ほかの means "other," so 他ほかの一ひとつ points away from what you already have. Use もう一ひとつ.

7. In 別べつのをください, what does the の stand for?

Show answer

The noun you already have in mind. 別べつの is "a different," and の replaces the noun, so 別べつのをください means "a different one, please."

8. Someone says また今度こんどお願ねがいします to your invitation. What should you assume?

Show answer

It may be a soft no. また今度こんど gives no date, so it is often a polite way to decline. If you want a real plan, offer a specific day with 別べつの日ひはどうですか.

9. Which word means "each other": もう一ひとつ, 他ほかの, or お互たがい?

Show answer

お互たがい — the other two are about "more" and "different," not mutual action.

Ordering another round is where もう一ひとつ, 他ほかの and 別べつの get sorted out, so role-play a small order and a change of mind in a trial lesson.

FAQ

What is the difference between もう一ひとつ and 別べつの? もう一ひとつ asks for another of the same thing, like a second drink of the same kind. 別べつの asks for a different one. Use もう一ひとつ when you are happy, and 別べつの when you want to switch.

Can I say もう一個いっこ instead of もう一ひとつ? Yes. 個こ is the counter for small objects, and もう一個いっこ is very common in casual speech. もう一ひとつ works for almost anything and is the safer default.

Is 他ほかの the same as 別べつの? They are close, and in a shop either one works. 他ほかの usually means "the other ones" from a group, while 別べつの points to one separate alternative. Native speakers swap them freely in simple situations.

How do I say "one more minute"? Use もう一分いちぶ or もうちょっと (a little more). もうちょっと待まってください means "please wait a little longer."

Does もう always mean "more"? No. もう before a counter means "additional." もう before a verb usually means "already." See the linked article on もう and まだ for that other meaning.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

もう一つ	もうひとつ — one more
もう一杯	もういっぱい — one more cup or glass
もう一人	もうひとり — one more person
もう一回	もういっかい — one more time
他の	ほかの — other, another (from the rest)
別の	べつの — a different, separate
色	いろ — color
サイズ	サイズ — size
また今度	またこんど — another time, some other time
お互い	おたがい — each other, one another
ください	ください — please give me
お願いします	おねがいします — please (a request)

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, which comes up in nearly every beginner's first few lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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