Language/Japanese/Vocabulary/Count-to-10
Hi Japanese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to count to 10 in Japanese. Counting is an essential part of any language, and in Japanese, it is particularly interesting because there are different ways to count different types of objects.
To navigate through this lesson, please use the Table of Contents below.
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Transport, Days of the Week, Numbers & Numbers.
Basic Counting[edit | edit source]
Let's start with the basics. To count from one to ten in Japanese, we use the following words:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | ichi | one |
| 二 | ni | two |
| 三 | san | three |
| 四 | shi/yon | four |
| 五 | go | five |
| 六 | roku | six |
| 七 | shichi/nana | seven |
| 八 | hachi | eight |
| 九 | ku/kyu | nine |
| 十 | ju/to | ten |
- Person 1: 一 (ichi)
- Person 2: 二 (ni)
- Person 1: 三 (san)
- Person 2: 四 (shi)
- Person 1: 五 (go)
- Person 2: 六 (roku)
- Person 1: 七 (shichi)
- Person 2: 八 (hachi)
- Person 1: 九 (ku)
- Person 2: 十 (ju)
As you may notice, there are different pronunciations for some numbers. For example, 四 (four) can be pronounced as shi or yon. The reason for this is that the number four sounds like the word for death in Japanese, so some people prefer to use the alternative pronunciation yon to avoid bad luck.
Counting Objects[edit | edit source]
Now, let's take a look at how to count different types of objects in Japanese.
Counting Flat Objects[edit | edit source]
Flat objects, such as sheets of paper or photographs, are counted using the counter 枚 (mai). Here are some examples:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一枚 | ichi mai | one sheet |
| 二枚 | ni mai | two sheets |
| 三枚 | san mai | three sheets |
| 四枚 | yon mai | four sheets |
| 五枚 | go mai | five sheets |
- Person 1: 写真を一枚ください (shashin wo ichi mai kudasai- Please give me one photograph)
- Person 2: はい、どうぞ (hai, douzo- Yes, here you go)
Counting Long, Thin Objects[edit | edit source]
Objects such as pencils or chopsticks are counted using the counter 本 (hon). Here are some examples:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一本 | ippon | one pencil |
| 二本 | nihon | two pencils |
| 三本 | sanbon | three pencils |
| 四本 | yonhon | four pencils |
| 五本 | gohon | five pencils |
- Person 1: この鉛筆を二本ください (kono enpitsu wo nihon kudasai- Please give me two pencils)
- Person 2: はい、どうぞ (hai, douzo- Yes, here you go)
Counting Small Objects[edit | edit source]
If you want to count small objects like candies or flowers, you would use the counter 個 (ko). Here are some examples:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一個 | ikko | one candy |
| 二個 | niko | two candies |
| 三個 | sanko | three candies |
| 四個 | yonko | four candies |
| 五個 | goko | five candies |
- Person 1: アメを三個ください (ame wo sanko kudasai- Please give me three candies)
- Person 2: はい、どうぞ (hai, douzo- Yes, here you go)
Counting Animals and People[edit | edit source]
When counting animals or people, you use the counter 頭 (tou). Here are some examples:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一頭 | ittou | one person/animal |
| 二頭 | nitou | two people/animals |
| 三頭 | santou | three people/animals |
| 四頭 | yontou | four people/animals |
| 五頭 | gotou | five people/animals |
- Person 1: あの場所に一頭のネコがいます (ano basho ni ittou no neko ga imasu- There is one cat in that place)
- Person 2: 本当ですか？ (hontou desu ka?- Really?)
Additional Information[edit | edit source]
When counting above 10, we combine the numbers to form new words. For example, eleven in Japanese is ju-ichi (10 and 1), twelve is ju-ni (10 and 2), and so on.
It is important to note that the pronunciation of the number 4 changes again when used in combination with other numbers. It becomes yon instead of shi. For example, 14 in Japanese is pronounced ju-yon (10 and 4).
If you want to learn more Japanese vocabulary, please visit our Vocabulary page. If you want to practice what you have learned, visit Polyglot Club and find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have!
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Japanese Numbers: How to Count 1-10 in Kanji & Hiragana ...
- Count In Japanese - A Complete Guide To Japanese Numbers
- Japanese Numbers: A Top Guide on How to Count in Japanese
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Videos[edit | edit source]
Counting from 1 to 10 in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Count from 1 to 10 in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Counting to 10 in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]
How to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Astronomy
- Fishies
- Glossary of Japanese martial arts
- Counting and Numbers
- Numbers
- Weather
- Music
- How to Write a Good CV
- Vehicles
- Education