At first, you can express Japanese numbers 1 to 100 easily. That’s because they are expressed in the full decimal system. You will be able to count up to large Japanese numbers from 1 to 100 in no time!
In contrast, the Japanese number pronunciation changes caused by the addition of counters. It’s tricky.
After you’ve mastered Japanese number 1 to 100, go on to the next blog to learn about larger numbers and Japanese counters to count days, hours,people…etc !
Table of contents
Japanese numbers 1 to 10
In the beginning, let’s look at the basic, Japanese numbers 1 to 10. The ones you need to pay attention to are 4 and 7. There are two ways to pronounce it. And depending on how you count, you may use one or the other, or both.
| Number | Roma-ji | Hiragana | Kanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ichi | いち | 一 |
| 2 | ni | に | 二 |
| 3 | san | さん | 三 |
| 4 | shi / yon | し / よん | 四 |
| 5 | go | ご | 五 |
| 6 | roku | ろく | 六 |
| 7 | shichi / nana | しち / なな | 七 |
| 8 | hachi | はち | 八 |
| 9 | kyuu | きゅう | 九 |
| 10 | juu | じゅう | 十 |
If you are still learning hiragana, check out “Learn Hiragana“.
Why don’t you start with studying numbers first for Kanji?
Japanese numbers 1 to 100 PDF
Now let’s count from Japanese numbers 1 to 100 at once. You can also download a handy PDF.
After downloading the PDF, watch the video to learn what you have learned until this point.
The video below explains Japanese numbers 1 to 100 with native pronounce and an English guide. And it Includes a quiz. Let’s try it.
-Duration: 9 minutes
The Japanese numbers counting system
As explained in the video, here are the rules for numbers larger than 10.
11 can express as 10 plus 1.
20 can express as 2 times 10.
21 can express as 2 times 10, plus 1.
So, with the Japanese numberscounting system, you can simply say 99( kyuu juu kyuu) using numbers from 1 to 10. And then, 100 (hyaku is the next digit unit.
Practice with Japanese numbers over 100
If you want charts with more than 100 numbers, please register here for free and download the chart, which includes up to 90000, as well as a list of counters.
Obviously,it is best way to learn Japanese with practicing. I strongly believe Practice and use is the fastest way to speaking!
In addition, Japanese numbers are very good hiragana practice. If you practice by writing them in a notebook, you can learn both hiragana and numbers. If you are not familiar with the Japanese character, try using a Japanese practice notebook.
Genkouyoushi Notebook: Large Japanese Kanji Practice Notebook
▲The link will take you to the Amazon product link.
Master Japanese counters
I agree that the Japanese counter is complicated. Depending on what is counted, the counter changes, and the pronunciation changes.
So,my advice is to start with what you use in your daily life and get used to it. Of course, if you are aiming for the JLPT, you will need to memorize this because it is a common question.
10 Basic counter for Beginners
This article mainly describes the counters, and a useful PDF is available for download.
Time in Japanese
Here, you can talk about your schedule and ask about it in Japanese.
Days of months in Japanese : Figure out Japanese calendar
Additionally, you can learn months in Japanese, dates, and days in this article.
Age in Japanese
Is it rude to ask a Japanese person’s age? This page answers such questions.
Thanks for the helpful content!
Thanks for the comment!