種類: Counting Kinds and Recognizing Types
Read ten kinds of tea and recognizing plant types from leaf shape. Distinguish a count of kinds from a count of cups or leaves and identify the recognition clue.
種類 (しゅるい): Ten kinds of tea
「店には十種類の茶が並んでいる。」 — “The store displays ten kinds of tea.” 十種類 counts ten kinds of tea. It counts varieties rather than physical cups of tea.
That count does not give the quantity of tea in each kind. Do not add ten cups or ten boxes.
Recognizing types from leaf shape
「葉の形によって植物の種類を見分ける。」 — “We distinguish plant types by the shape of their leaves.” Leaf shape is used to recognize a plant’s type. 葉の形 supplies a clue for distinguishing types.
Recognizing a type does not mean creating a new classification system. The sentence also does not count the leaves.
Kinds apart from individual quantities
The tea example gives a count of kinds; the plant example gives a clue for identifying a kind. Find whose kinds are being discussed and then separate the count from the clue.
The leaf example is not a universal identification method for all plants. Nor do the separate examples say the ten tea kinds were classified by their leaves.
What is counted or considered in ten tea 種類 and recognizing plant 種類 from leaves?
Show the answer and why
The tea example counts kinds; the plant example considers a clue for identifying a type. Neither ten cups nor ten individual leaves are counted.