JA Connection logo. Lesson 5: Numbers and Counting - I

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Numbers

As with the written language, the Japanese also adopted the Chinese numbers in addition to their own.

1 Ichi 11 Juuchi 30 San Ju
2 Ni 12 Juuni 40 Yonju
3 San 13 Juusan 50 Goju
4 Yon or Shi 14 Juuyon 60 Rokuju
5 Go 15 Juugo 70 Nanaju
6 Roku 16 Juuroku 80 Hachiju
7 Nana or Shichi 17 Juunana 90 Kyuju
8 Hachi 18 Juuhachi 100 Hyaku
9 Kyuu 19 Juukyu 1000 Sen
10 Juu 20 Niju 10000 Man

Notice that there is a specific word for 10,000. This makes it bit more difficult when trying to deal with larger numbers. You have to think of things in terms of 10,000's instead of 1,000's as we are used to dealing with.

You count the 100's, 1000's and 10000's in the same manner as shown with 20-90.
Nihyaku, Nisen, Niman
Sanbyaku, Sanzen, Sanman etc...

With a little practice it will be much easier. It also won't hurt if you are already good with numbers.

It is common to hear original Japanese numbers used in a variety of things. Anything from telling the host/hostess at a restaurant how many people are in your party to asking for a quantity of Big Macs at McDonald's.

Here are the numbers of Japanese origin:

1 Hitotsu
2 Futatsu
3 Mittsu
4 Yottsu
5 Itsutsu
6 Muttsu
7 Nanatsu
8 Yattsu
9 Kokonotsu
10 Tou

Money

The Japanese currency is called Yen. The current exchange rate from U.S. Dollars to Japanese Yen is about 120 Yen to 1 Dollar. Since the rate has gone as low as 100 Yen to the dollar it is much easier to just divide the Japanese price by 100.

You will also hear the word Yen changed to En at times.

Coins

The following denominations are available as coins:
¥ 1
¥ 5
¥ 50
¥ 100
¥ 500

Bills

The following denominations are available as bills/paper:
¥ 1000
¥ 5000
¥ 10000

Counting Things

When it comes to counting things it is not as simple as using the numbers from the numbers section above. This makes it easier in some cases and difficult in others. It makes it easy because you do not need to worry about changing the word from a singular to plural version. There is no plural words in Japanese. Thus the easy part. Instead, you add a suffix to the number, resulting in something called a "counter," which identifies the type of thing you are counting. Thus the difficulty.

Below is a reference table of counters:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Chaku Itchaku Nichaku Sanchaku Yonchaku Gochaku Rokchaku Nanachaku Hatchaku Kyuuchaku Juchaku
Jitchaku
Chou Itchou Nichou Sanchou Yonchou Gochou Rokuchou Shichichou
Nanachou
Hatchou Kyuuchou Juchou
Jitchou
Dai Ichidai Nidai Sandai Yodai
Yondai
Godai Rokudai Shichidai
Nanadai
Hachidai Kudai
Kyuudai
Juudai
Fuku Ippuku Nifuku Sampuku
Sambuku
Yompuku
Shifuku
Gofuku Roppuku Shichifuku
Nanafuku
Happuku Kyuufuku Jupuku
Jippuku
Hai Ippai Nihai Sambai Yonhai
Shihai
Gohai Roppai Shichihai Hachihai
Happai
Kuhai
Kyuuhai
Juppai
jippai
Hiki Ippiki Nihiki Sambiki Yonhiki
Shihiki
Gohiki Roppiki Shichihiki
Nanahiki
Hachihiki
Happiki
Kuhiki
Kyuuhiki
Juppiki
Jippiki
Hon Ippon Nihon Sambon Yonhon
Shihon
Gohon Roppon Shichihon
Nanahon
Hachihon
Happon
Kuhon
Kyuuhon
Juppon
Jippon
Jou Ichijou Nijou Sanjou Yojou Gojou Rokujou Shichijou
Nanajou
Hachijou Kujou
Kyuujou
Juujou
Kan Ikkan Nikan Sangan Yonkan Gokan Rokkan Shichikan
Nanakan
Hachikan
Hakkan
Kyuukan Jukkan
Jikkan
Ken Ikken Niken Sangen Yonken
Shiken
Goken Rokken Shichiken
Nanaken
Hachiken
Hakken
Kyuuken Jukken
Jikken
Ko Ikko Niko Sanko Yonko Goko Rokko Shichiko
Nanako
Hakko Kyuuko Jukko
Jikko
Mai Ichimai Nimai Sammai Yonmai Gomai Rokumai Nanamai Hachimai Kyuumai Juumai
Maki Hitomaki Futamaki Mimaki Yomaki Itsumaki Mumaki Nanamki Yamaki Kyuumaki Toumaki
Mei Ichimei Nimei Sammei Yomei
Yommei
Shimei
Gomei Rokumei Shichimei
Nanamei
Hachimei Kumei
Kyuumei
Juumei
Nin Hitori Futari Sannin Yonin
Yottari
Gonin Rokunin Shichinin Hachinin Kunin
Kyuunin
Juunin
Satsu Issatsu Nisatsu Sansatsu Yonsatsu Gosatsu Rokusatsu Nanasatsu Hassatsu Kyuusatsu Jussatsu
Jissatsu
Seki Isseki Niseki Sanseki Yonseki Goseki Rokuseki Shichiseki
Nanaseki
Hasseki Kyuuseki Juseki
Jisseki
Sho Ikkasho Nikasho Sankasho Yonkasho Gokasho Rokkasho Nanakasho Hachikasho Kyuukasho Jukasho
Jikkasho
Shu Isshu Nishu Sanshu Yonshu Goshu Rokushu Shichishu Hachishu
Hasshu
Kyuushu Jusshu
Jisshu
Sou Issou Nisou Sansou
Sanzou
Yonsou
Shisou
Gosou Rokusou Shichisou
Nanasou
Hassou Kyuusou Jussou
Jissou
Soku Issoku Nisoku Sanzoku Yonsoku
Shisoku
Gosoku Rokusoku Shichisoku
Nanasoku
Hassoku Kyuusoku Jussoku
Jissoku
Tou Ittou Nitou Santou Yontou Gotou Rokutou Shichitou
Nanatou
Hachitou
Hattou
Kyuutou Jutou
jittou
Tsuu Ittsuu Nitsuu Santsuu Yontsuu
Shitsuu
Gotsuu Rokutsuu Shichitsuu
Nanatsuu
Hachitsuu
Hattsuu
Kyuutsuu Jutsuu
Jittsuu
Wa Ichiwa Niwa Samba Yonwa
Yomba
Shiwa
Gowa Roppa
Rokuwa
Shichiwa Hachiwa Kuwa
Kyuuwa
Juppa
Jippa
Zen Ichizen Nizen Sanzen Yonzen
Shizen
Gozen Rokuzen Shichizen
Nanazen
Hachizen Kyuuzen Juuzen

Counter Descriptions

Chaku
Counter for suits and dresses.
Chou
Counter for things with handles such as knives, scissors, guns.
Dai
Counter for vehicles and appliances.
Fuku
Counter for doses of medicine and puffs of breath or tobacco smoke.
Hai
Counter for cups, glasses, and buckets of liquid.
Hiki
Counter for four-legged animals, insects, and fish.
Hon
Counter for cylindrical objects such as bottles, pencils, and trees.
Jou
Counter for tatami mats.
Kan
Counter for reels of a movie and individual volumes of a set of books.
Ken
Counter for houses, shops, and buildings.
Ko
Counter for objects without a counter/suffix.
Mai
Counter for flat objects such as paper and blankets.
Maki
Counter for rolls of cloth and scrolls.
Mei
A formal counter for people.
Nin
Counter for people.
Satsu
Counter for bound objects such as books.
Seki
Counter for large ships.
Sho
Counter for places.
Shu
Counter for poems.
Sou
Counter for small ships.
Soku
Counter for shoes, socks, and slippers.
Tou
Counter for large four-legged animals and whales.
Tsuu
Counter for letters and documents.
Wa
Counter for birds.
Zen
Counter for rice bowls and pairs of chopsticks.

Do not worry about memorizing all the different counters as this will take a bit of time. One can always use the counter "ko" when not sure what the correct counter is.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Repeat the following numbers in Japanese:

13 jusan
5 go
67 rokuju nana
120 hyaku niju
20180 niman hyaku hachiju
304 sanbyaku yon

Exercise 2

Count to 10 using Japanese origin numbers.




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