Japanese numbers 1 to 10 are ichi (一), ni (二), san (三), yon (四), go (五), roku (六), nana (七), hachi (八), kyu (九), and ju (十). Zero is zero (ゼロ) or rei (零). From there the system is remarkably regular — learn ten words and a stacking pattern, and you can count to ninety-nine almost immediately.
Two things trip up beginners, and both are easy once you see them: four and seven each have two readings, and large numbers group by ten thousand rather than by thousands.
Numbers 1 to 10
These ten are the foundation of everything else, so it pays to drill them until they are automatic.
| Number | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 / ゼロ | rei / zero |
| 1 | 一 | ichi |
| 2 | 二 | ni |
| 3 | 三 | san |
| 4 | 四 | yon / shi |
| 5 | 五 | go |
| 6 | 六 | roku |
| 7 | 七 | nana / shichi |
| 8 | 八 | hachi |
| 9 | 九 | kyu / ku |
| 10 | 十 | ju |
Why four and seven have two readings
Four and seven are the only numbers with two everyday readings, and the reason is a genuine, widely held superstition. shi (四), the older reading of four, sounds exactly like shi (死), the word for death. ku (九), one reading of nine, is a homophone of ku (苦), meaning suffering or pain.
So in daily counting, most people reach for yon (四) and nana (七) instead, sidestepping the unlucky echoes.
The fear is real enough to shape buildings. Some Japanese hospitals and hotels skip room 4 — and occasionally 9 — the way many Western buildings have no thirteenth floor. Once you know to look, you will spot the missing numbers on elevator panels and door plates.
Counting to 100
Above ten, Japanese simply stacks the words you already know. Eleven is "ten-one," twenty is "two-tens," twenty-five is "two-tens-five." There are no irregular teen words to memorize.
| Number | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 十一 | ju-ichi |
| 20 | 二十 | ni-ju |
| 25 | 二十五 | ni-ju-go |
| 30 | 三十 | san-ju |
| 99 | 九十九 | kyu-ju-kyu |
| 100 | 百 | hyaku |
Hundreds, thousands, and the ten-thousand trap
One hundred is hyaku (百) and one thousand is sen (千). Then comes the twist that disorients almost every visitor: Japanese has a dedicated word for ten thousand, man (万), and counts big numbers in units of ten thousand rather than thousands.
Ten thousand is ichi-man (一万), literally "one ten-thousand." One hundred thousand is ju-man (十万), "ten ten-thousands." A million is hyaku-man (百万), "a hundred ten-thousands."
Prices end in en (円), yen, and a 10,000-yen note is an everyday bill, not a fortune. When a menu shows 一万, read it as ichi-man en — roughly a nice dinner for two, not ten separate thousands. Slow down at the comma and count in ten-thousands and prices stop looking scary.
One thing, two things: counters
For shopping and ordering you will meet a second set of number words. To ask for "one" or "two" of something, Japanese often uses hitotsu (一つ) and futatsu (二つ) instead of ichi and ni.
りんごを一つください
ringo o hitotsu kudasai
One apple, please
これを二つください
kore o futatsu kudasai
Two of these, please
This is only the start of a whole family of counters — different words for flat things, long things, and people. Our guide to numbers and counting walks through the full system.
Keep learning Japanese
Numbers are the rare corner of Japanese that rewards you fast: master ten sounds and one pattern, and you can price, count, and order almost anything. Keep going with our free essential Japanese phrases, then practice with audio and spaced repetition in the Pretalk app until the numbers come without thinking.
