Numbers in Japanese can be confusing as it has a different counting system in English, but once you understand the patterns, it becomes surprisingly intuitive. Counting from 1 to 10 is the first step, but what about counting up to a million? Or even a hundred million?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Japanese number system, including both the Sino-Japanese readings (onyomi) and native Japanese readings (kunyomi), and how to count from basic digits all the way to massive numbers like 1,000,000,000.
Want to improve your pronunciation as you learn to count? Check out our guide to Japanese pronunciation.
Watch our video: Learn to Count in Japanese from 1 to 100 Click here to watch on YouTube
Basics of Counting Japanese Numbers
Sino-Japanese and Yamato Kotoba
The Japanese counting system is based on a base-10 structure, just like English, but the units are grouped differently, especially beyond 10,000. For example, while English groups in thousands, Japanese uses 10,000 (万 / man) as a unit.
Japanese numbers also come with two main reading systems:
- Sino-Japanese 音読み (onyomi): Based on Chinese readings and used most commonly in counting, time, dates, and math.
- Native Japanese 訓読み (kunyomi): Original Japanese words often used for counting small quantities or objects.
Now, you’ve probably heard this phrase in Japanese anime before:
1、２、３！
いち、に、さん！
One, two, three!
Kunyomi: Native Japanese Numbers (1–10)
These are used when you don’t need a counter (e.g., ordering one item at a restaurant).
- ひとつ (hitotsu) – 1
- ふたつ (futatsu) – 2
- みっつ (mittsu) – 3
- よっつ (yottsu) – 4
- いつつ (itsutsu) – 5
- むっつ (muttsu) – 6
- ななつ (nanatsu) – 7
- やっつ (yattsu) – 8
- ここのつ (kokonotsu) – 9
- とう (tou) – 10
Example:
- お菓子をひとつください。
- Okashi o hitotsu kudasai.
- Please give me one snack.
Kunyomi numbers are rarely used beyond 10. For everything else, we use the more common Sino-Japanese system.
Onyomi: Sino-Japanese Numbers (1–10,000)
- 一 (ichi) – 1
- 二 (ni) – 2
- 三 (san) – 3
- 四 (shi / yon) – 4
- 五 (go) – 5
- 六 (roku) – 6
- 七 (shichi / nana) – 7
- 八 (hachi) – 8
- 九 (kyuu / ku) – 9
- 十 (juu) – 10
- 百 (hyaku) – 100
- 千 (sen) – 1,000
- 万 (man) – 10,000
Example:
紙を一枚ください。
Kami o ichimai kudasai.
Please give me one sheet of paper.
🔁 Irregular Readings
- 300：三百（さんびゃく）sanbyaku
- 600：六百（ろっぴゃく）roppyaku
- 800：八百（はっぴゃく）happyaku
- 3000：三千（さんぜん）sanzen
- 8000：八千（はっせん）hassen
Examples:
- 12: (じゅうに) juu-ni
- 157: (ひゃく ごじゅう なな) hyaku go-juu nana
- 1861: (せん はっぴゃく ろくじゅう いち) sen happyaku roku-juu ichi
How to Read Larger Numbers in Japanese
Japanese numbers group by 4 digits instead of 3. Here’s a breakdown:
- 10,000: 一万 (ichi-man)
- 100,000: 十万 (juu-man)
- 1,000,000: 百万 (hyaku-man)
- 10,000,000: 千万 (issen-man)
- 100,000,000: 一億 (ichi-oku)
- 1,000,000,000: 十億 (juu-oku)
- 1,000,000,000,000: 一兆 (icchou)
Example:
- 320,000 = san-juu ni man (さんじゅう に まん)
- 18,257 = ichi-man hassen ni-hyaku go-juu nana (いちまん はっせん にひゃく ごじゅう なな)
🧠 Cultural note :
In English, we group numbers by thousands: 1,000, 1,000,000.
In Japanese, numbers are grouped by ten-thousands.
That’s why 10,000 is not “juu-sen” but ichi-man (一万) — one ten-thousand.
Zero in Japanese
- ゼロ (zero): Common, borrowed from English
- まる (maru): Used in phone numbers or codes
- 零 (rei): Formal but rarely used in speech
Example:
- 郵便番号は102-0072です。
- Yuubin bango wa ichi maru ni no maru maru nana ni desu.
Writing Numbers: Arabic vs Kanji
Japanese uses both:
- Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…): Common in daily use
- Kanji (一, 二, 三…): Used in legal, financial, and formal documents
Want to go beyond numbers?
Understanding numbers is just one part of mastering Japanese. To count things properly, you’ll also need to learn counters — like 本 (for long objects), 個 (for small items), and 枚 (for flat objects).
Dive into our complete guide on Japanese counters to level up your grammar.
Start taking Japanese lessons and learn how to count in Japanese!
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How do you count from 1 to 10 in Japanese?
You can use either Sino-Japanese (ichi, ni, san…) or native Japanese (hitotsu, futatsu…). The Sino-Japanese system is more common and used with counters.
What does 'man' mean in Japanese numbers?
Man (万) means 10,000. Unlike English, Japanese numbers are grouped by ten-thousands instead of thousands. For example, 20,000 is ni-man (二万).
Why are there two readings for Japanese numbers?
Japanese has Sino-Japanese (onyomi) readings from Chinese and native Japanese (kunyomi) readings. The context (counting objects, reading dates, math) determines which to use.
How do you say 100,000 in Japanese?
100,000 is said as juu-man (十万), which means “ten ten-thousands” — because Japanese groups numbers by 10,000 units.
Do Japanese people use kanji for numbers?
In daily life, Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) are common. Kanji (一, 二, 三) are used in formal documents, banking, and legal writing.