EkGuru › Languages › Japanese › Course › Japanese Numbers and Counters
Japanese Numbers and Counters
Draft: not yet reviewed by a native speaker. Existing availability and indexing are preserved by owner instruction; that is not an editorial approval. Suggest a correction.
🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear the words on this page spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.
Count to 99, tell age and time, and survive the counter system — 人, つ, 本, 枚 and the sound changes.
One to ten, two readings
Japanese numbers have native (kun) and Chinese-derived (on) readings: ひとつ ふたつ みっつ よっつ いつつ むっつ ななつ やっつ ここのつ とお (1–10 native) vs いち に さん し/よん ご ろく しち/なな はち きゅう じゅう (on). Modern counting mostly uses on-readings: じゅういち (11), にじゅう (20), きゅうじゅうきゅう (99). Note 4 avoids し (death) → よん; 7 prefers なな; 9 prefers きゅう.
Counters: every shape counts differently
Like Chinese measure words, but shape-based: 人 (nin — people: 三人 sannin), つ (tsu — generic things: みっつ), 本 (hon — long things: 三本 sanbon), 枚 (mai — flat things: 三枚 sanmai), 匹 (hiki — small animals), 冊 (satsu — books). Default to つ when unsure — natives will supply the right one with a smile.
Sound changes: 一本, 三本
一 (ichi) mutates before h/k/s/p sounds: 一本 = いっぽん (ippon), 一匹 = いっぴき (ippiki), 六本 = ろっぽん (roppon), 三本 = さんぼん (sanbon — no change). These euphonic changes are fixed per counter — learn them as chunks (ippon, nihon, sanbon) rather than rules. Dictionaries list each counter's readings.
Age, time and money
Age: 二十歳 (hatachi — 20, special reading!) or 二十一歳 (nijūissai — 21). Asking age is sensitive — おいくつですか softens it. Time: 三時 (san-ji — 3 o'clock), 三時半 (half past). Money: 円 (en/yen): いくらですか (how much?). Bills over coins: even ¥10,000 notes are used daily.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| 1–10 (on) | いち に さん よん ご ろく なな はち きゅう じゅう |
| 11 / 20 / 99 | じゅういち / にじゅう / きゅうじゅうきゅう |
| people | 三人 (さんにん) — three people |
| sound change | 一本 = いっぽん (ippon) |
| I am 21 | 二十一歳 (にじゅういっさい) |
| How much? | いくらですか |