Language/Japanese/Vocabulary/Counting-Numbers-and-Time

Japanese Vocabulary → Greetings and Introductions → Counting Numbers and Time

As a Japanese language teacher for 20 years, I know that learning how to count numbers and tell time are essential in mastering any language, including Japanese. In this lesson, we will cover the basics of Japanese numbers and time, and how to use them in practical situations. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to count up to 100 and tell time in Japanese.

Japanese Numbers

Japanese numbers use two number systems: one based on Chinese characters (kanji) and one based on the native Japanese (yamato) system. In order to count over 10 in the yamato system, the Chinese numbers are used as the base units (see table below).

Number	Kanji	Yamato
0	零	れい (rei)
1	一	いち (ichi)
2	二	に (ni)
3	三	さん (san)
4	四	し (shi) / よん (yon)
5	五	ご (go)
6	六	ろく (roku)
7	七	しち (shichi) / なな (nana)
8	八	はち (hachi)
9	九	きゅう (kyuu)
10	十	じゅう (juu)
100	百	ひゃく (hyaku)

To count numbers higher than 10 in Japanese, you simply combine the base units with the number 10 or 100. For example, to say 27, you would say にじゅうしち (nijuushichi), which means "two tens seven." Similarly, 108 would be pronounced as ひゃくはち (hyakuhachi), which means "one hundred eight."

It's important to note that there are different counters (measure words) for different objects or people in Japanese, and they are used together with the numbers. For example, to count books, you would use the counter さつ (satsu), and to count people, you would use the counter にん (nin).

Telling Time

Telling time in Japanese utilizes two numbering systems: one for the hours and one for the minutes. The hours are counted using the numbers from 1 to 12 and the suffix 時 (ji), which means "hour." The minutes, on the other hand, use the same numbering system as for counting, but with the suffix 分 (fun) or 分間 (bun kan), which means "minute" or "minutes."

For example, 9:30 would be pronounced as くじはん (kuji han), which means "nine o'clock half." Similarly, 3:45 would be pronounced as さんじよんじゅうごふん (sanji yonjuugo fun), which means "three o'clock forty-five minutes."

It's worth mentioning that there are two ways to tell time in Japanese: the 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock. The 24-hour clock uses the same counting system as the 12-hour clock, but with the suffix 時 (ji) omitted. For example, 9:30 PM would be pronounced as 21時30分 (nijuuiji sanjuppun), which means "21 o'clock thirty minutes."

Practical Applications

Knowing how to count numbers and tell time is essential in everyday life situations, such as telling the time, giving your phone number, counting money and prices, and ordering food and drinks.

Here are some common phrases and examples to get you started:

• いくらですか？ (ikura desu ka?) - How much is it?
• おいくつですか？ (o-ikutsu desu ka?) - How old are you?
• 何時ですか？ (nanji desu ka?) - What time is it?
• 電話番号は090-1234-5678です。 (denwa bangou wa zero kyuu zero ichi ni san yon go roku shichi hachi desu.) - My phone number is 090-1234-5678.
• 二人です。 (futari desu.) - We are two people.
• 三つお願いします。 (mittsu onegaishimasu.) - Three please.

Practice using these phrases and examples in your daily conversations and interactions, and try to immerse yourself in Japanese culture as much as possible.

Sources

• Telling Time in Japanese - Everything You Need to Know
• Count In Japanese - A Complete Guide To Japanese Numbers
• Japanese Numbers: How to Count 1-10 in Kanji & Hiragana ...
• Japanese Numbers and Counting System | OptiLingo

Table of Contents - Japanese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Hiragana Basics

• Hiragana Reading and Writing Practice
• Introduction to Japanese Sentence Structure
• Particle は and が
• Verb Conjugation
• Noun and Adjective Modification
• Question Words and Phrases

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Describing People
• Counting Numbers and Time
• Basic Food and Drink Terminology
• Daily Activities and Hobbies
• Basic Directions and Transportation

  ---

Geography and History

• Introduction to Japanese Geography
• Brief History of Japan
• Traditional Arts and Customs
• Popular Culture and Entertainment

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Conjugation
• Adjective Types and Usage
• Adverb Types and Usage
• Comparison and Superlative
• Adjective and Adverbial Modification

  ---

Family and Social Relations

• Family Members and Titles
• Social Etiquette and Expressions
• Basic Workplace and Business Terminology
• Shopping and Consumer Culture

  ---

Religion and Philosophy

• Shinto and Buddhism
• Zen and Samurai Culture
• Contemporary Spiritual Movements

  ---

Particles and Conjunctions

• Particles に and で
• Particles へ and を
• Particles も and しか
• Conjunctions and Compound Sentences
• Conditional and Hypothetical Sentences

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Travel and Tourism

• Basic Travel and Tourism Vocabulary
• Famous Tourist Attractions and Landmarks
• Japanese Hospitality and Service Culture

  ---

Education and Science

• Educational System and Vocabulary
• Traditional and Modern Science and Technology
• Natural Disasters and Risk Prevention

  ---

Prepositions and Interjections

• Prepositions and Postpositions
• Emphasis and Intensification
• Exclamation and Impression Expressions

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Arts and Media

• Film and Theater Terminology
• Music and Dance Terminology
• Art and Literature Terminology

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Politics and Society

• Basic Political Vocabulary
• Social Issues and Controversies
• Japanese Business and Work Culture

Related Lessons

• Shellfish
• Art and Literature Terminology
• Feelings and Emotions
• Months of the Year
• How to say Good Bye?
• Film and Theater Terminology
• Health
• Bird
• Constellations
• Basic Workplace and Business Terminology