Japanese Numbers 1-10
Master Basic Japanese Counting with Comprehensive Examples
Table of Contents
1. Overview of Japanese Numbers
Japanese has two main number systems:
1. Native Japanese (やまとことば) – Used for counting objects, people, ages (1-10)
2. Sino-Japanese (漢語) – Based on Chinese, used for mathematics, addresses, phone numbers
3. Arabic numerals – Common in modern Japanese for convenience
Understanding Japanese numbers is essential for daily communication, shopping, telling time, and basic conversations.
2. Basic Numbers 1-10
3. Pronunciation Guide
| Number | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Alternative | Usage Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | いち | ichi | ひと (hito)* | Most common reading |
| 2 | 二 | に | ni | ふた (futa)* | Standard reading |
| 3 | 三 | さん | san | み (mi)* | Standard reading |
| 4 | 四 | よん | yon | し (shi) | よん preferred (し = death) |
| 5 | 五 | ご | go | いつ (itsu)* | Standard reading |
| 6 | 六 | ろく | roku | む (mu)* | Standard reading |
| 7 | 七 | なな | nana | しち (shichi) | なな more common |
| 8 | 八 | はち | hachi | や (ya)* | Standard reading |
| 9 | 九 | きゅう | kyuu | く (ku) | きゅう more common |
| 10 | 十 | じゅう | juu | とお (too)* | Standard reading |
4. Usage Examples
Basic Counting
Counting from 1 to 10:
いち、に、さん、よん、ご、ろく、なな、はち、きゅう、じゅう
ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyuu, juu
Time (Hours)
| Time | Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | いちじ | ichiji | 1 o’clock |
| 2:00 | にじ | niji | 2 o’clock |
| 3:00 | さんじ | sanji | 3 o’clock |
| 4:00 | よじ | yoji | 4 o’clock |
| 9:00 | くじ | kuji | 9 o’clock |
Age
Examples:
ごさい (gosai) – 5 years old
はっさい (hassai) – 8 years old
じゅっさい (jussai) – 10 years old
5. Counting Objects
General Objects Counter: つ (tsu)
Used for counting general objects when no specific counter applies (1-9 only)
| Number | Counter Form | Romaji | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ひとつ | hitotsu | one (thing) | りんご ひとつ (one apple) |
| 2 | ふたつ | futatsu | two (things) | ほん ふたつ (two books) |
| 3 | みっつ | mittsu | three (things) | ペン みっつ (three pens) |
| 4 | よっつ | yottsu | four (things) | いす よっつ (four chairs) |
| 5 | いつつ | itsutsu | five (things) | かばん いつつ (five bags) |
| 6 | むっつ | muttsu | six (things) | コップ むっつ (six cups) |
| 7 | ななつ | nanatsu | seven (things) | ボール ななつ (seven balls) |
| 8 | やっつ | yattsu | eight (things) | はこ やっつ (eight boxes) |
| 9 | ここのつ | kokonotsu | nine (things) | えんぴつ ここのつ (nine pencils) |
| 10 | とお | too | ten (things) | ふうせん とお (ten balloons) |
6. Special Readings and Variations
Numbers with Special Pronunciations
| Context | Number | Standard | Special Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 8 | はち | はっ | はっさい (8 years old) |
| Age | 10 | じゅう | じゅっ | じゅっさい (10 years old) |
| Time | 4 | よん | よ | よじ (4 o’clock) |
| Time | 9 | きゅう | く | くじ (9 o’clock) |
Superstitions and Cultural Notes
Number 4 (よん/し): Often avoided because し sounds like 死 (death)
Number 9 (きゅう/く): Sometimes avoided because く sounds like 苦 (suffering)
Number 7 (なな): Considered lucky, often preferred over しち
7. Practice Exercises
Reading Practice
Try reading these numbers:
三、七、一、九、五、八、十、二、四、六
Answer: さん、なな、いち、きゅう、ご、はち、じゅう、に、よん、ろく
Counting Practice
Count these objects:
🍎🍎🍎 = りんご みっつ (3 apples)
📚📚📚📚📚 = ほん いつつ (5 books)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = ほし ななつ (7 stars)
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| しじ (shiji) | よじ (yoji) | Use よ for 4 o’clock, not し |
| しちじ (shichiji) | ななじ (nanaji) | Use なな for 7 o’clock |
| きゅうじ (kyuuji) | くじ (kuji) | Use く for 9 o’clock, not きゅう |
| Using つ counter for 10+ | Use こ or other counters | つ counter only goes up to 9 |
| Mixed number systems | Be consistent | Don’t mix native and Sino-Japanese randomly |
Congratulations!
You’ve completed the comprehensive guide to Japanese numbers 1-10. Practice counting daily objects and telling time to master these essential numbers!
Numbers 1-10 Quiz
Test Your Knowledge of Japanese Counting
Exercise 1: Basic Number Recognition
What is 五 in hiragana?
Explanation: 五 (five) is read as ご (go) in hiragana.
Exercise 2: Number Reading
How do you read なな?
Explanation: なな (nana) is the preferred reading for 7, though しち (shichi) is also correct.
Exercise 3: Time Expression
How do you say “4 o’clock” in Japanese?
Explanation: For 4 o’clock, use よじ (yoji), not しじ (which sounds like death).
Exercise 4: Object Counting
How do you say “three things”?
Explanation: When counting objects with つ counter, 3 becomes みっつ (mittsu), using the native Japanese reading.
Exercise 5: Alternative Readings
What’s the alternative reading for 四?
Explanation: し is often avoided because it sounds like 死 (death), so よん is preferred in most contexts.
Exercise 6: Counting Sequence
What comes after はち in counting?
Explanation: After はち (8) comes きゅう (9). く is an alternative reading but きゅう is more common in counting.
Exercise 7: Kanji Recognition
Which kanji represents “ten”?
Explanation: 十 (じゅう) represents ten. It looks like a cross or plus sign.
Exercise 8: Counter Usage
What’s the correct way to count “six things”?
Explanation: With the つ counter, 6 becomes むっつ (muttsu), using the native Japanese reading む.
Exercise 9: Time Special Reading
How do you say “9 o’clock”?
Explanation: For 9 o’clock, use くじ (kuji), not きゅうじ. The short form く is used with じ.
Exercise 10: Missing Number
What number is missing? いち、に、さん、___, ご
Explanation: The sequence is 1,2,3,4,5. Number 4 is よん (yon) in basic counting.
Exercise 11: Native vs Sino-Japanese
Which is the native Japanese reading for “two things”?
Explanation: ふたつ (futatsu) is the native Japanese way to say “two things” using the つ counter.
Exercise 12: Highest つ Counter
What’s the highest number you can count with つ?
Explanation: The つ counter only goes up to とお (10). For 11 and above, you use other counting systems.
How did you do?
Check your answers by selecting options above. Each correct answer will show in green!
