Introduction
Welcome to a new module! In the previous lessons, you built a fantastic foundation by learning to read and write both hiragana and katakana. You finished by learning to recognize common English loanwords on menus and signs, like コーヒー (coffee) and ホテル (hotel), a skill that will be immediately useful.
Now, we're shifting from reading the writing systems to learning core vocabulary. This module is all about numbers and money. Today, we'll tackle the first and most fundamental step: learning to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese. This is essential not just for understanding prices, which we'll cover next, but also for many common travel situations, like ordering a specific number of items or telling a restaurant host how many people are in your party.
Part 1: Two Ways to Count
One of the first things to know about Japanese numbers is that there are two primary systems for counting. Don't worry, we'll keep it simple and focus on what's most practical for your trip.
- Kango (漢語): These are the Sino-Japanese numbers, derived from Chinese. This is the most common system, used for mathematics, telling time, and—importantly for us—stating prices. The sequence is ichi, ni, san...
- Wago (和語): These are the native Japanese numbers. They are typically used only for counting from one to ten. Their great advantage is that they act as a "universal counter" for physical objects. The sequence is hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu...
Why is this important for you? When you want to buy, say, two coffees, you can use the wago system without needing to learn the specific "counter word" for cups. It's a very useful shortcut for travelers.
To get a quick overview of these two systems, please read the introductory section of the following article.
How to Count and Read Numbers in Japanese - Coto Academy
This article from Coto Academy, 'How to Count and Read Numbers in Japanese', provides a clear explanation of the Kango and Wago number systems.
Please read the section 'Basics of Counting Japanese Numbers'. Focus on understanding the difference in usage between Kango (ichi, ni, san) and Wago (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu). You can skim the part about specific counters like '-mai' and '-hon,' as we'll be using the Wago system to bypass these for now.
Part 2: The Numbers 1-10
Now, let's memorize the numbers. The following chart shows both the kango and wago systems. We will focus on the kango system first, as it's the foundation for all larger numbers and prices.
Here is a summary table for both systems side-by-side for easy comparison.
| Number | Kango (Sino-Japanese) | Wago (Native Japanese) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いち (ichi) | ひとつ (hitotsu) |
| 2 | に (ni) | ふたつ (futatsu) |
| 3 | さん (san) | みっつ (mittsu) |
| 4 | よん (yon) / し (shi) | よっつ (yottsu) |
| 5 | ご (go) | いつつ (itsutsu) |
| 6 | ろく (roku) | むっつ (muttsu) |
| 7 | なな (nana) / しち (shichi) | ななつ (nanatsu) |
| 8 | はち (hachi) | やっつ (yattsu) |
| 9 | きゅう (kyuu) / く (ku) | ここのつ (kokonotsu) |
| 10 | じゅう (juu) | とお (too) |
Important Note on 4, 7, and 9
You might have noticed that the numbers 4, 7, and 9 have two different readings in the kango system. For practical, everyday use, it's best to stick to one preferred reading to avoid confusion.
- For 4, use よん (yon). The other reading, し (shi), sounds like the Japanese word for death (死), so it is often avoided.
- For 7, use なな (nana). The other reading, しち (shichi), can sound very similar to いち (ichi, number 1), so なな (nana) is clearer in conversation.
- For 9, use きゅう (kyuu). The other reading, く (ku), sounds like the word for suffering or agony (苦), so it is also often avoided.
This is a small but important cultural and practical detail. The following resource gives a brief explanation.
Japanese Numbers: Counting in Japanese from 1-100+
The article 'Japanese Numbers' from Fluent in 3 Months offers a concise explanation for why these numbers have preferred readings.
Please read the section titled 'Sino-Japanese Numbers'. Focus on the paragraph that explains the unlucky connotations of the numbers 4 and 9, and the reason for preferring 'nana' for 7.
Take a few minutes to practice saying the kango numbers 1-10 out loud, using the preferred readings: ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyuu, juu.
Part 3: Practical Use Cases
Knowing the numbers is great, but knowing when to use each system is what makes them truly useful for your trip.
Scenario 1: Ordering Items
This is the perfect situation to use the wago (native) numbers. Since they act as a universal counter for objects, you can simply say the item you want, followed by the number.
- To order one coffee: コーヒーをひとつください (Kōhī o hitotsu kudasai).
- To order two beers: ビールをふたつください (Bīru o futatsu kudasai).
- To order three cakes: ケーキをみっつください (Kēki o mittsu kudasai).
Notice how you're combining the katakana words you learned in the last lesson with the new numbers. The phrase 「〜をください」 (...o kudasai) means "... please," and we will cover it in detail in a future lesson. For now, just focus on recognizing the number part.
Scenario 2: Stating How Many People
When you enter a restaurant, you'll often be asked how many people are in your party. This uses a slightly different system, which is a mix of special words and kango numbers. We'll cover this fully in a later lesson, but here are the most important ones to know:
- 1 person: ひとり (hitori)
- 2 people: ふたり (futari)
- 3 people: さんにん (san-nin)
- 4 people: よにん (yo-nin)
Notice that 3 and 4 use the kango numbers you just learned (san, yon) followed by a counter for people (にん, nin). The words for one and two people are unique and are very important to memorize.
Scenario 3: Prices and Phone Numbers
Any time you are dealing with abstract numbers like prices, phone numbers, or room numbers, you will use the kango system (ichi, ni, san...). This is the system we will build on in the very next lesson to handle prices up to 100,000 yen.
Conclusion
Well done. You've just learned one of the most fundamental building blocks of practical Japanese. Getting comfortable with numbers 1-10 opens the door to many real-world interactions.
Key Takeaways:
- There are two primary Japanese number systems: Kango (ichi, ni, san...) for abstract counting and prices, and Wago (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu...) for counting physical objects.
- For everyday use, the preferred readings for 4, 7, and 9 are yon, nana, and kyuu.
- You can use the wago system as a "universal counter" to order a specific number of items, for example:
コーヒーをひとつください(One coffee, please). - The numbers for one and two people are irregular and important: hitori (1 person) and futari (2 people).
Preview of the next lesson:
In the next lesson, we will expand on what you've learned today. We'll use the kango numbers as a base to recognize and state numbers up to 100,000. This will prepare you to read price tags and understand amounts when shopping in Japan.