5.1. Small numbers
5.1.1. Small integers
Being entirely decimal, the way of counting numbers (かず "kazu") in Japanese is much easier than in English, considering English has illogical number words (not wholly decimal) such as eleven, twelve, and twenty.Number | Japanese | Description |
0 | れい re i | The word ゼロ H L "zero" also means zero. The word まる H L "maru", which means a circle, is the same as oh in English and often used for zeros in phone numbers etc. |
1 | いち i ti | - |
2 | に ni | - |
3 | さん sa n | - |
4 | よん yo n | Another word し H "shi" also means four, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful. |
5 | ご go | - |
6 | ろく ro ku | - |
7 | なな na na | Another word しち L H "shichi" also means seven, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful. |
8 | はち ha ti | - |
9 | きゅう kyû | Another word く H "ku" also means nine, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful. |
10 | じゅう zyû | - |
... | ... | ... |
11 | じゅういち zyû i ti | 10 + 1 じゅう + いち |
12 | じゅうに zyû ni | 10 + 2 じゅう + に |
... | ... | ... |
20 | にじゅう ni zyû | 2 x 10 に x にじゅ |
21 | にじゅう ni zyû i ti | 2 x 10 + 1 に x にじゅう + i ti |
... | ... | ... |
30 | さんじゅう sa n zyû | 3 x 10 さん x じゅう |
... | ... | ... |
100 | ひゃく hya ku | - |
... | ... | ... |
1000 | せん se n | - |
To read numbers in Japanese, just read pairs of digits (2, 3, ...) and units (10, 100, ...). For example, the number 452 is pronounced as やん "yon" ひゃく "hyaku" ご "go" じゅう "zyû" に "ni", which means 4 × 100 + 5 × 10 + 2.
If a digit is zero, omit both the digit and the unit. If a digit is one, say only the unit.
Further reading:
5.1.2. Euphonic change
There is some complicated rule to change sounds. The sounds of some combinations of a digit and a unit are modified for ease of pronunciation. This rule is applied only for units which begin with voiceless phonemes (/k/, /s/, /t/, /h/, and /p/). Note that units don't combine with the trailing digit. Pronouncing numbers without using this rule is still understandable.The rule is listed below. I think using phonemes is easier to understand.
*1 Even though they are not digits but units, they can combine with the trailing units when they are the last word in a group. See the chapters of large numbers and counters.
*2 Explained in the chapter of large numbers.
Number examples:
Numbers | Digits and units | Description |
156 | 100 + 5 × 10 + 6 ひゃくごじゅうろく hya ku go zyû ro ku | Omit the digit of 100. |
7008 | 7 × 1000 + 8 ななせんはち na na se n ha ti | Omit the digits and units of 100 and 10. |
392 | 3 × 100 + 9 × 10 + 2 さんびゃくきゅうじゅうに sa n bya ku kyû zyû ni | The euphonic rule changes "san" × "hyaku" to "sanbyaku". |
213 | 2 × 100 + 10 + 3 にひゃくじゅうさん ni hya ku zyû sa n | The euphonic rule is applied to a pair of a digit and a unit, not a unit and a digit. The number 10 + 3 is not "jussan". |
Further reading: