Small numbers

5.1. Small numbers

5.1.1. Small integers

Being completely decimal, the way of counting numbers (

"kazu") in Japanese is much easier than in English, considering English has illogical number words (not completely decimal) such as eleven, twelve, and twenty.

Number

Japanese

Description


re	i

The word

HL "zero" also means zero. The word

HL "maru", which means a circle, is the same as oh in English and often used for zeros in phone numbers etc.


i	ti


sa	n


yo	n

Another word

H "shi" also means four, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful.


ro	ku


na	na

Another word

LH "shichi" also means seven, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful.


ha	ti


kyû

Another word

H "ku" also means nine, but you cannot combine it with units. It is less colloquial and less useful.


zyû


zyû			i	ti


zyû			ni

...


ni	zyû


ni	zyû			i	ti

...


sa	n	zyû

...

100


hya		ku

...

1000


se	n

To read numbers in Japanese, just read pairs of digits (2, 3, ...) and units (10, 100, ...). For example, the number 452 is pronounced as

"yon"

"hyaku"

"go"

"zyû"

"ni", which means 4 × 100 + 5 × 10 + 2.

If a digit is zero, omit both the digit and the unit. If a digit is one, just say only the unit.

Further readings:

5.1.2. Euphonic change

There is some complicated rule to change sounds. The sounds of some combinations of a digit and a unit are modified for ease of pronunciation. This rule is applied only for units which begin with voiceless phonemes (/k/, /s/, /t/, /h/, and /p/). Note that units don't combine with the trailing digit. Pronouncing numbers without using this rule is still understandable.
The rule is listed below. I think using phonemes is easier to understand.

Ending of number	Numbers	Beginning of unit	Combination
-ku	"roku", "hyaku" ^*1	, , , , k-	, , , , -kk-
-ku	"roku", "hyaku" ^*1	, , , , h-	, , , , -pp-
-ti and zyû	"iti", "hati", "zyû" ^*1	, , , , k-	, , , , -kk-
		, , , , s-	, , , , -ss-
		, , , , t-	, , , , -tt-
		, , , , h-	, , , , -pp-
-n except yon	"san", "sen" ^1, "man" ^2	, , , , h-	, , , , -nb-
san	"san"	sen	sanzen
yon	"yon"	, , , , n-	, , , , yon-

*1 Even though they are not digits but units, they can combine with the trailing units when they are the last word in a group. See the chapters of large numbers and counters.
*2 Explained in the chapter of large numbers.

Number examples:

Numbers

Digits and units

Description

156

100		+	5 × 10		+	6

hya	ku		go	zyû		ro	ku

Omit the digit of 100.

7008

7 × 1000				+	8

na	na	se	n		ha	ti

Omit the digits and units of 100 and 10.

392

3 × 100

9 × 10

bya

kyû

zyû

The euphonic rule changes "san" × "hyaku" to "sanbyaku".

213

2 × 100			+	10	+	3

ni	hya	ku		zyû		sa	n

The euphonic rule is applied to a pair of a digit and a unit, not a unit and a digit. The number 10 + 3 is not "jussan".