Japanese Numbers 1 to 100
Quick answer
Japanese numbers are built on a simple pattern. Learn 1 to 10 (ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyū, jū), then combine: the tens are just the digit plus 十 (jū), so 20 is 二十 (ni-jū) and 21 is 二十一 (ni-jū-ichi). 100 is 百 (hyaku).
Essential Japanese Travel Phrases
The Japanese phrases travelers use most — greetings, getting around, ordering food, shopping, numbers, and emergencies — each with natural Japanese, romaji pronunciation, a usage example, and native-speaker audio.
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Japanese numbers 1 to 10
Four, seven, and nine have two common readings. Yon, nana, and kyū are the safer, more common ones for everyday counting.
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | ichi | 1 | |
| 二 | ni | 2 | |
| 三 | san | 3 | |
| 四 | yon (or shi) | 4 | |
| 五 | go | 5 | |
| 六 | roku | 6 | |
| 七 | nana (or shichi) | 7 | |
| 八 | hachi | 8 | |
| 九 | kyū (or ku) | 9 | |
| 十 | jū | 10 |
Counting 11 to 19
Say ten (十 jū) plus the ones digit — there are no special words like eleven or twelve.
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 十一 | jū-ichi | 11 (10 + 1) | |
| 十二 | jū-ni | 12 (10 + 2) | |
| 十五 | jū-go | 15 (10 + 5) | |
| 十九 | jū-kyū | 19 (10 + 9) |
The tens up to 100
Each ten is the digit plus 十 (jū). Build any number by adding the ones: 42 is 四十二 (yon-jū-ni), 57 is 五十七 (go-jū-nana).
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 二十 | ni-jū | 20 | |
| 三十 | san-jū | 30 | |
| 四十 | yon-jū | 40 | |
| 五十 | go-jū | 50 | |
| 六十 | roku-jū | 60 | |
| 七十 | nana-jū | 70 | |
| 八十 | hachi-jū | 80 | |
| 九十 | kyū-jū | 90 | |
| 百 | hyaku | 100 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Japanese?
ichi (1), ni (2), san (3), yon (4), go (5), roku (6), nana (7), hachi (8), kyū (9), jū (10). These are the Sino-Japanese numbers used for most counting, prices, and phone numbers.
Why do 4, 7, and 9 have two readings?
四 can be yon or shi, 七 nana or shichi, and 九 kyū or ku. Yon, nana, and kyū are more common in everyday speech, partly because shi also sounds like the word for death.
How do you make numbers above 10 in Japanese?
Combine the tens and ones: 二十 (ni-jū) is 20, and 二十一 (ni-jū-ichi) is 21. The tens are simply the digit plus 十 (jū).
How do you say 100 in Japanese?
100 is 百 (hyaku). 200 is 二百 (ni-hyaku) and 1,000 is 千 (sen).
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