Can you use つ to count over 10 in Japanese?

Question:

So I know hitotsu futatsu....kokonotsu tou, but I was just wondering how you would count above 10?? Juu-hitotsu just doesn't sound quite right to me for 11, for example. How would you count over 10 using the つ counter or can you not do that? Is there another counter that people would use instead of つ ?

Thanks.

Answer:

You are right. You can use both つ and　こ until 9, but from 10, only こ can be used as long as you count objects in general. Ex. 11こ, 12こ, 20こ, 100こ...

But in most cases, we count particular objects or creatures. Then the things get complicated, because each object and creature has its own 'counter' as you may know.
Ex. paper (まい); books (さつ); chopsticks (ほんor ぽん); plate (さら); car (だい); birds (わ); fish (ひきorぴき); animals (とう): humans (にん); jacket (ちゃく); shoes (そく); tofu (ちょう), etc, etc.

I often heard complaints about this ↑↑ from English-speaking ppl who were learning Japanese. I used to 'talk them back,' by saying "hey, your counting system is illogical and complicated, too." Would you explain why you count things like "two glasses of water (instead of 2 waters);" "three cups of coffee (instead of 3 coffees);" "four loaves of bread (instead of 4 breads);" "a pair of panties (why a piece of panty should be a pair? I've never seen a panty for one leg only);" "a school of fish (I'm extremely curious about their high school);" "a head of cabbage (I didn't know that cabbage has a brain);" "a cake of soap (do you eat soap? how does it taste?)," etc, etc... Then, they would say, "hmmm, I've never thought about it."

@ David ↑↑ said, "a native speaker can do better." But, that is not true (often times), because native speakers are apt to take everything in their language (including all the grammatical irregularities and exceptions) for granted, and never had a serious doubt about them. That is what 'native speaker' is all about. So, when they (and we) are asked about these irregularities, we would be at a loss. It is extremely difficult to explain them especially in a language that is not our native tongue. I have been studying English for many years on my own. I really wonder how many native speakers of English can answer my questions in Japanese (not in English). My point is that "a non-native speaker can do better" sometimes.