前 as a counter word?


> お客：寿司を五人前届けてもらいたいんですが。
>
> 寿司屋：かしこまりました。

Is 前 being used as a counter word here? If so, what meaning of 前 is being
assumed as a counter--perhaps the serving placed "before" a person?




The counter is [人前]{にんまえ} and is usually used for 寿司, 餃子, 甘酒, 蕎麦 or other
(usually Japanese) foods. It corresponds to the concept of a "serving", which
is served in front of the customer, whence 人前.

It is counted using the Chinese-based numbers, i.e. いちにんまえ, ににんまえ, さんにんまえ,
etc.

EDIT: I checked with a chef and recipe book author about the use of 人前 vs. 人分.
The counter 人前 is supposed to be used only for prepared (料理された) food, or, by
extension, for food (like 甘酒, for example), which is sold in near servable
state. (甘酒 is usually sold in concentrated "ready to serve" form and only
needs to be diluted with water. A 10人前 pack of 甘酒 is thus a pack of 10
servings, after dilution.)

As Teno points out, 人分 is a related concept and refers to the quantity of food
(ingredients). 人前 would thus be used in menus; 人分 is the preferred choice for
recipes.




The counter is [人前]{にんまえ} and is usually used for 寿司, 餃子, 甘酒, 蕎麦 or other
(usually Japanese) foods. It corresponds to the concept of a "serving", which
is served in front of the customer, whence 人前.

It is counted using the Chinese-based numbers, i.e. いちにんまえ, ににんまえ, さんにんまえ,
etc.

EDIT: I checked with a chef and recipe book author about the use of 人前 vs. 人分.
The counter 人前 is supposed to be used only for prepared (料理された) food, or, by
extension, for food (like 甘酒, for example), which is sold in near servable
state. (甘酒 is usually sold in concentrated "ready to serve" form and only
needs to be diluted with water. A 10人前 pack of 甘酒 is thus a pack of 10
servings, after dilution.)

As Teno points out, 人分 is a related concept and refers to the quantity of food
(ingredients). 人前 would thus be used in menus; 人分 is the preferred choice for
recipes.

