Japanese numbers: reading and counting

The idea

One to ten are いち、に、さん、よん、ご、ろく、なな、はち、きゅう、じゅう. Build 15 as ten plus five and 20 as two tens; larger units include 百, 千 and 万 (ten thousand). Counters change some readings.

Examples

• 家族かぞくは四人よにんです。There are four people in my family.
• 友達ともだちは二人ふたりです。I have two friends.
• 鉛筆えんぴつが五本ごほんあります。There are five pencils.
• 本ほんが三冊さんさつあります。There are three books.
• 値段ねだんは百円ひゃくえんです。The price is 100 yen.
• 全部ぜんぶで十個じゅっこあります。There are ten items altogether.

Watch out

Four, seven and nine also have し, しち and く readings in some combinations. Do not assume a bare number reading remains unchanged before every counter.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading in hiragana: 四

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   よん / し

   四 alone can be read よん or し; よん is a useful basic reading.

2. Write the reading in hiragana: 十

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   じゅう

   十 is じゅう; it is the base for numbers from eleven to nineteen.

3. Write the reading in hiragana: 十五

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   じゅうご

   十五 combines じゅう and ご, so its reading is じゅうご.

Use it today

Count objects around you from one to ten, then choose a suitable counter and check its reading.