Counting in a foreign language is a crucial skill, and when it comes to Japanese, it may seem a bit complex at first. But fear not! With a little patience and practice, you will master the Japanese number system. So, let’s dive into the world of Japanese numbers and counting.

The Basics: Understanding Japanese Numbers

Japanese has two main number systems: native Japanese and Sino-Japanese, derived from Chinese. Sino-Japanese is more commonly used, especially for counting, so we’ll focus on it in this guide.

Here’s how to count from one to ten in Sino-Japanese:

1 – 一 (いち – ichi)

2 – 二 (に – ni)

3 – 三 (さん – san)

4 – 四 (し/よん – shi/yon)

5 – 五 (ご – go)

6 – 六 (ろく – roku)

7 – 七 (しち/なな – shichi/nana)

8 – 八 (はち – hachi)

9 – 九 (きゅう/く – kyu/ku)

10 – 十 (じゅう – ju)

Notice that four and seven have two readings. Both are correct, but ‘yon’ and ‘nana’ are often preferred to avoid confusion with other words that ‘shi’ and ‘shichi’ might sound like.

Counting beyond Ten

Counting beyond ten involves combining the basic numbers. For example, to say eleven (11), you would say ‘ten’ (十 – ju) and ‘one’ (一 – ichi), thus 十一 (じゅういち – juuichi).

The numbers 20, 30, 40, and so on follow the pattern of [multiple] x 10. So, 20 is ‘two’ (二 – ni) x ‘ten’ (十 – ju) = 二十 (にじゅう – nijuu).

A number like 25 would combine these: ‘two ten’ (20 – 二十 – nijuu) and ‘five’ (五 – go) = 二十五 (にじゅうご – nijuu go).

This pattern continues up to 99 (九十九 – きゅうじゅうきゅう – kyujuu kyu).

The Big Numbers

For numbers 100 and above, there are unique words:

100 – 百 (ひゃく – hyaku)

1,000 – 千 (せん – sen)

10,000 – 万 (まん – man)

To say 200, you would say ‘two’ (二 – ni) and ‘hundred’ (百 – hyaku), so 二百 (にひゃく – nihyaku). But note, there are a few exceptions. For example, 300 is さんびゃく (sanbyaku) and 600 is ろっぴゃく (roppyaku).

A number like 1234 would combine these elements: ‘one thousand’ (千 – sen), ‘two hundred’ (二百 – nihyaku), ‘three tens’ (三十 – sanjuu), and ‘four’ (四 – yon) = 千二百三十四 (せんにひゃくさんじゅうよん – sen nihyaku sanjuu yon).

The Japanese Counting System

Japanese counting isn’t as straightforward as in English due to the presence of ‘counters,’ which are suffixes that depend on the type of object being counted. There are specific counters for small objects, flat objects, animals, machines, and many others. Here are some commonly used counters:

• For general items: つ (tsu). This counter is used for a variety of items, typically when no other counter applies. It is mostly used for numbers one through ten, which have unique forms (for example, one item is ひとつ hitotsu, two items are ふたつ futatsu).
• For long, cylindrical items: 本 (ほん hon). This counter is used for long, cylindrical objects, such as bottles, pencils, or rivers.
• For flat, thin items: 枚 (まい mai). This counter is used for flat objects like sheets of paper, plates, or pieces of clothing.

To use counters, simply say the number followed by the counter. For example, three bottles would be 三本 (さんぼん – sanbon).

Conclusion

Navigating the Japanese number and counting system might seem daunting at first, but once you understand the basics and patterns, it becomes a fascinating part of learning Japanese. Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep counting, and soon you’ll be able to handle numbers and counters in Japanese with ease. Happy learning!