1A counter for thin, flat objects — paper, plates, photos, tickets, cards, shirts, futons, coins, and anything that has a flat surface. One of the basic Japanese counters. Used after a number: 一枚 (ichi-mai), 二枚 (ni-mai), 三枚 (san-mai), 何枚 (nan-mai, 'how many').
写真を一枚アルバムに入れた。
I put a photo into the album.
紙は何枚必要ですか。
How many sheets of paper do you need?
この皿は二枚で千円です。
These plates are two for 1,000 yen.
夏に向けてTシャツを三枚買った。
I bought three T-shirts for the summer.
新幹線の切符を大人二枚と子ども一枚ください。
Two adult and one child tickets for the Shinkansen, please.
2A counter for servings of certain foods that come as a plate or single portion. The amount per 枚 depends on the dish or restaurant — for gyoza, one 枚 typically means one plate (5–8 dumplings); for mori-soba or zaru-soba, one 枚 typically means one serving.
こちらの餃子は一枚が八個入りです。
This plate of gyoza contains eight pieces.
もりそばを二枚追加でお願いします。
Two more servings of mori-soba, please.
3(sumo) A counter for ranks on the banzuke (ranking sheet). Used in the form ○枚目 to indicate position from the top — e.g., 幕下二枚目 means 'the second position in the makushita division'.
彼の名前は幕下二枚目に載っている。
His name appears at the second position in the makushita division.
番付で十枚目あたりにいると、昇進争いがとても厳しくなる。
Being around the tenth rank on the banzuke makes the competition for promotion fierce.
4(sumo) A counter for the number of wrestlers belonging to a particular rank — e.g., 幕内に十枚いる means 'there are ten wrestlers in the makuuchi division'.
今場所は幕内に西の力士が十枚いる。
There are ten makuuchi wrestlers on the west side this tournament.
関脇は通常、東西合わせて二枚いることが多い。
There are usually two sekiwake (one each on the east and west sides).
5A counter for plots of fields or rice paddies. An older or regional usage — uncommon in modern urban contexts, but still seen in agricultural or rural conversation.
祖父は家の周りに田を三枚持っていた。
My grandfather owned three rice-paddy plots around the house.
6(historical) A counter for palanquin bearers, indicating how many people carried a palanquin in pre-modern Japan. Essentially unused in modern Japanese.