部
Components
Grammar detail: Basic Japanese Numbers
My current mastery of this grammar point:
Zero to Ten
| Number | Kanji | Hiragana | Other Reading |
| 0 | ぜろ | れい | |
| 1 | 一 | いち | |
| 2 | 二 | に | |
| 3 | 三 | さん | |
| 4 | 四 | し | よん |
| 5 | 五 | ご | |
| 6 | 六 | ろく | |
| 7 | 七 | しち | なな |
| 8 | 八 | はち | |
| 9 | 九 | きゅう | く |
| 10 | 十 | じゅう |
The number 0 is often said as ぜろ (a loan word from English, usually written in katakana). However, れい is also commonly used, so it is useful to learn both. The kanji for れい is 零, but this kanji is not used very often in everyday writing.
Numbers 4 and 7 are slightly irregular. When these numbers are used on their own, you can use either the
おんよ
音読
み (onyomi) readings (4 = し, 7 = しち) or the くんよ
訓読
み (kunyomi) readings (4 = よん, 7 = なな). However, when the numbers are used in larger numbers (above 10) or with counters, either reading is technically correct, but よん and なな are much more common. For example: よんひゃく
四百
(400) and ななまん
七万
(70,000).The common reading for 9 is きゅう. However, く is used in a few set expressions or with certain counters. For example, 九時（くじ） means “9 o’clock.”
Eleven to Nineteen
After 10, Japanese numbers follow a simple pattern - じゅう + the number that follows it.
| 11 | 十一 | じゅういち |
| 12 | 十二 | じゅうに |
| 13 | 十三 | じゅうさん |
| 14 | 十四 | じゅうよん/じゅうし |
| 15 | 十五 | じゅうご |
| 16 | 十六 | じゅうろく |
| 17 | 十七 | じゅうなな/じゅうしち |
| 18 | 十八 | じゅうはち |
| 19 | 十九 | じゅうきゅう |
Twenty to Ninety Nine
To form numbers in the tens; 20, 30, 40, etc., the structure is the first number + じゅう.
| 20 | 二十 | にじゅう |
| 30 | 三十 | さんじゅう |
| 40 | 四十 | よんじゅう |
| 50 | 五十 | ごじゅう |
| 60 | 六十 | ろくじゅう |
| 70 | 七十 | ななじゅう |
| 80 | 八十 | はちじゅう |
| 90 | 九十 | きゅうじゅう |
し and しち will rarely be used with straight 40 or 70.
Past ten, Japanese is completely regular, so counting is as simple as putting the number of tens with the number of ones. So for example:
- 57 = 五十七 (ごじゅうなな) = five tens + seven
- 99 = 九十九 (きゅうじゅうきゅう) = nine tens + nine
- 44 = 四十四 (よんじゅうよん) = four tens + four
Hundreds
The number for 100 is ひゃく. To form numbers in the hundreds (100, 200, 300, etc.), the structure is the first number + ひゃく.
| 100 | 百 | ひゃく |
| 200 | 二百 | にひゃく |
| 300 | 三百 | さんびゃく |
| 400 | 四百 | よんひゃく |
| 500 | 五百 | ごひゃく |
| 600 | 六百 | ろっぴゃく |
| 700 | 七百 | ななひゃく |
| 800 | 八百 | はっぴゃく |
| 900 | 九百 | きゅうひゃく |
Note: Most hundreds are made by saying the number + ひゃく, but the sound for numbers 300, 600 and 800 changes to make pronunciation smoother.
To make numbers between 100 and 999, follow the same pattern you used for tens: hundreds + tens + ones.
Say the hundreds part first, followed by the remaining number/numbers.
- 106 = 百六 (ひゃくろく)
- 230 = 二百三 (にひゃくさん)
- 658 = 六百五十八 (ろっぴゃくごじゅうはち)
One Thousand and Ten Thousand
The next large units in Japanese are one thousand and ten thousand.
| 1000 | 千 | せん |
| 10000 | 万 | まん |
Note: The number 10,000 can be written as
まん
万
or いちまん
一万
. Both are correct. When counting or reading numbers, いちまん
一万
is more common because it clearly shows the “one” before 万.You form numbers with these in the same way as the hundreds and tens: say the large unit first, then add the hundreds, tens, and ones after it. For example:
- 2000 = 二千（にせん）
- 6000 = 六千（ろくせん）
- 5840 = 五千八百四十（ごせんはっぴゃくよんじゅう）
- 19000 = 一万九千（いちまんきゅうせん）
- 27000 = 二万七千（にまんななせん）
Kanji used in this grammar
Problem with this grammar? Question or
comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language.
To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard.
You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly.
For an overview, take the tour.
