A Playground of Thoughts > Number Systems of the World > The Number System of Ancient Japanese

The Number System of Ancient Japanese

The number system of ancient Japanese is not used now except 1 through 10, which are sometimes used as alternate vocabulary. Modern Japanese uses a different number system imported from Chinese. The Modern column below means the modern pronunciation of ancient Japanese numbers.

NumberReadingMeaning
AncientModern
0??-
1pitotuhitotsu1 obj.
2putatufutatsu2 obj.
3mitumittsu3 obj.
4yotuyottsu4 obj.
5itutuitsutsu5 obj.
6mutumuttsu6 obj.
7nanatunanatsu7 obj.
8yatuyattsu8 obj.
9kokonotukokonotsu9 obj.
10towotô10
11towo amari pitotutô amari hitotsu10 and 1 obj.
12towo amari putatutô amari futatsu10 and 2 obj.
13towo amari mitutô amari mittsu10 and 3 obj.
14towo amari yotutô amari yottsu10 and 4 obj.
15towo amari itututô amari itsutsu10 and 5 obj.
16towo amari mututô amari muttsu10 and 6 obj.
17towo amari nanatutô amari nanatsu10 and 7 obj.
18towo amari yatutô amari yattsu10 and 8 obj.
19towo amari kokonotutô amari kokonotsu10 and 9 obj.
20patatihatachi20 obj.*
21patati amari pitotuhatachi amari hitotsu20 obj.* and 1 obj.
22patati amari putatuhatachi amari futatsu20 obj.* and 2 obj.
23patati amari mituhatachi amari mittsu20 obj.* and 3 obj.
24patati amari yotuhatachi amari yottsu20 obj.* and 4 obj.
25patati amari itutuhatachi amari itsutsu20 obj.* and 5 obj.
26patati amari mutuhatachi amari muttsu20 obj.* and 6 obj.
27patati amari nanatuhatachi amari nanatsu20 obj.* and 7 obj.
28patati amari yatuhatachi amari yattsu20 obj.* and 8 obj.
29patati amari kokonotuhatachi amari kokonotsu20 obj.* and 9 obj.
30misodimisoji3 × 10† obj.*
31misodi amari pitotumisoji amari hitotsu3 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
32misodi amari putatumisoji amari futatsu3 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
33misodi amari mitumisoji amari mittsu3 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
34misodi amari yotumisoji amari yottsu3 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
35misodi amari itutumisoji amari itsutsu3 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
36misodi amari mutumisoji amari muttsu3 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
37misodi amari nanatumisoji amari nanatsu3 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
38misodi amari yatumisoji amari yattsu3 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
39misodi amari kokonotumisoji amari kokonotsu3 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
40yosodiyosoji4 × 10† obj.*
41yosodi amari pitotuyosoji amari hitotsu4 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
42yosodi amari putatuyosoji amari futatsu4 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
43yosodi amari mituyosoji amari mittsu4 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
44yosodi amari yotuyosoji amari yottsu4 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
45yosodi amari itutuyosoji amari itsutsu4 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
46yosodi amari mutuyosoji amari muttsu4 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
47yosodi amari nanatuyosoji amari nanatsu4 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
48yosodi amari yatuyosoji amari yattsu4 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
49yosodi amari kokonotuyosoji amari kokonotsu4 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
50isodiisoji5* × 10† obj.*
51isodi amari pitotuisoji amari hitotsu5* × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
52isodi amari putatuisoji amari futatsu5* × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
53isodi amari mituisoji amari mittsu5* × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
54isodi amari yotuisoji amari yottsu5* × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
55isodi amari itutuisoji amari itsutsu5* × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
56isodi amari mutuisoji amari muttsu5* × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
57isodi amari nanatuisoji amari nanatsu5* × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
58isodi amari yatuisoji amari yattsu5* × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
59isodi amari kokonotuisoji amari kokonotsu5* × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
60musodimusoji6 × 10† obj.*
61musodi amari pitotumusoji amari hitotsu6 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
62musodi amari putatumusoji amari futatsu6 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
63musodi amari mitumusoji amari mittsu6 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
64musodi amari yotumusoji amari yottsu6 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
65musodi amari itutumusoji amari itsutsu6 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
66musodi amari mutumusoji amari muttsu6 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
67musodi amari nanatumusoji amari nanatsu6 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
68musodi amari yatumusoji amari yattsu6 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
69musodi amari kokonotumusoji amari kokonotsu6 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
70nanasodinanasoji7 × 10† obj.*
71nanasodi amari pitotunanasoji amari hitotsu7 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
72nanasodi amari putatunanasoji amari futatsu7 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
73nanasodi amari mitunanasoji amari mittsu7 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
74nanasodi amari yotunanasoji amari yottsu7 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
75nanasodi amari itutunanasoji amari itsutsu7 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
76nanasodi amari mutunanasoji amari muttsu7 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
77nanasodi amari nanatunanasoji amari nanatsu7 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
78nanasodi amari yatunanasoji amari yattsu7 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
79nanasodi amari kokonotunanasoji amari kokonotsu7 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
80yasodiyasoji8 × 10† obj.*
81yasodi amari pitotuyasoji amari hitotsu8 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
82yasodi amari putatuyasoji amari futatsu8 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
83yasodi amari mituyasoji amari mittsu8 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
84yasodi amari yotuyasoji amari yottsu8 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
85yasodi amari itutuyasoji amari itsutsu8 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
86yasodi amari mutuyasoji amari muttsu8 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
87yasodi amari nanatuyasoji amari nanatsu8 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
88yasodi amari yatuyasoji amari yattsu8 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
89yasodi amari kokonotuyasoji amari kokonotsu8 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
90kokonosodikokonosoji9 × 10† obj.*
91kokonosodi amari pitotukokonosoji amari hitotsu9 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj.
92kokonosodi amari putatukokonosoji amari futatsu9 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj.
93kokonosodi amari mitukokonosoji amari mittsu9 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj.
94kokonosodi amari yotukokonosoji amari yottsu9 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj.
95kokonosodi amari itutukokonosoji amari itsutsu9 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj.
96kokonosodi amari mutukokonosoji amari muttsu9 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj.
97kokonosodi amari nanatukokonosoji amari nanatsu9 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj.
98kokonosodi amari yatukokonosoji amari yattsu9 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj.
99kokonosodi amari kokonotukokonosoji amari kokonotsu9 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj.
100momomomo100

* Different form
† Different word

Note:
The suffixes "tu", "ti", and "di" (modern "tsu", "chi", and "ji") were used to count general objects. This is similar to the number system of Ainu.

NumberRootObjects
(-tu)		People
(-tari)		Days
(-uka)
AncientModernAncientModernAncientModernAncientModern
1pitohitopitotuhitotsupitorihitoripitopihitohi
2putafutaputatufutatsuputarifutariputukafutsuka
3mimimitumittsumitarimittarimikamikka
4yoyoyotuyottsuyotariyottariyokayokka
5ituitsuitutuitsutsuitutariitsutariitukaitsuka
6mumumutumuttsumutarimutarimuyukamuika
7nanananananatunanatsunanatarinanatarinanukananoka
8yayayatuyattsuyatariyatariyaukayôka
9kokonokokonokokonotukokonotsukokonotarikokonotarikokonukakokonoka
10tototowotôtotaritotaritowokatôka
20patahatapatatihatachipatatarihatataripatukahatsuka
30misomisomisodimisojimisotarimisotarimisokamisoka

32 objects = misodi amari putatu
32 days = misoka amari putuka
32 years = misotose amari putatose

The conjunction "amari" sometimes became "mari".
ex.
32 = misodi amari putatu = misodimari putatu

Larger numbers:
NumberReadingMeaning
AncientModern
100momomomo100
200putapofutao2 × 100†
300mipomio3 × 100†
400yopoyoo4 × 100†
500ipoio5* × 100†
600mupomuo6 × 100†
700nanaponanao7 × 100†
800yapoyao8 × 100†
900kokonopokokonoo9 × 100†
1000tichi1000
2000putatifutachi2 × 1000
3000mitimichi3 × 1000
4000yotiyochi4 × 1000
5000itiichi5* × 1000
6000mutimuchi6 × 1000
7000nanatinanachi7 × 1000
8000yatiyachi8 × 1000
9000kokonotikokonochi9 × 1000
10000yoroduyorozu10000
20000putayorodufutayorozu2 × 10000
30000miyorodumiyorozu3 × 10000
40000yoyoroduyoyorozu4 × 10000
50000iyoroduiyorozu5* × 10000
60000muyorodumuyorozu6 × 10000
70000nanayorodunanayorozu7 × 10000
80000yayoroduyayorozu8 × 10000
90000kokonoyorodukokonoyorozu9 × 10000


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Copyright(C) TAKASUGI Shinji (ts@sf.airnet.ne.jp)