{"id":3819,"date":"2020-09-04T11:02:49","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T11:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=3819"},"modified":"2021-02-24T16:57:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T16:57:41","slug":"japanese-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/japanese-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Numbers: A Comprehensive Guide to Counting in Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Numbers are important when you\u2019re travelling in Japan. You need them for money, for telling time, or for ordering food at a restaurant. So how do you count in Japanese? If you\u2019ve ever taken a karate class, you might know the basic ichi, ni, san<\/em>! But perhaps you\u2019re no karate kid and are daunted about where to start. In this article, we\u2019ll be looking at all<\/em> the Japanese numbers, as well as the various ways to count them.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s jump right in!<\/p>\n

Japanese Numbers \u2013 Things to Remember<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to know that there are two different types of numbers in the Japanese language. One is based on the old Chinese language, or \u6f22\u8a9e (\u304b\u3093\u3054\u3001kango<\/em>). The other is based on original Japanese, called either \u5927\u548c\u8a00\u8449 (\u3084\u307e\u3068\u3053\u3068\u3070\u3001Yamato kotoba<\/em>) or \u548c\u8a9e (\u308f\u3054\u3001wago<\/em>).<\/p>\n

There are also a couple of important exceptions in pronouncing certain Japanese numbers. These exceptions might confuse you if you see them in a counting chart, so we\u2019re going to look into how<\/em> to pronounce these numbers and why<\/em> they\u2019re so different.<\/p>\n

Kango<\/em> and Wago<\/em><\/h3>\n

As we mentioned earlier, counting with kango <\/em>or \u6f22\u8a9e means you\u2019re counting based on the old Chinese language that influenced Japanese. It\u2019s probably also the counting style you\u2019re more familiar with: the ichi, ni, san<\/em> style. Kango<\/em> is different from the original wago<\/em> in two major ways: it doesn\u2019t use any<\/em> hiragana, meaning it\u2019s kanji-specific, and it will often require counters. We\u2019ll talk briefly about Japanese counters later; they\u2019re words to specify the object being counted. Kango<\/em> is more widely used when counting in Japanese. It\u2019s also the style people use consistently when counting beyond 10.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t discount wago, <\/em>or \u548c\u8a9e. Although it\u2019s typically only used to count up to ten, the counting style based on wago<\/em> is elegant and simple in that it doesn\u2019t require counters. Wago<\/em> uses hiragana in every number except for 10, following numbers 1~9 with the hiragana \u3064. You will find wago<\/em> counting very useful if you aren\u2019t sure which counters to use, or when you want to count simple objects like food in a restaurant order.<\/p>\n

Kango<\/em> and wago<\/em> are fascinating topics of study; check out Tofugu\u2019s in-depth article<\/a> about these two roots of Japanese and their relationship with counting.<\/p>\n

Exceptions in Japanese Numbers<\/h3>\n

We mentioned that some numbers in Japanese are special. Technically, these numbers are especially unlucky; Japanese people can be superstitious to the point that if a pronunciation makes them uncomfortable, they\u2019ll create an alternative. That is why there are two<\/em> pronunciations for the kango<\/em> counting of 4 and 9.<\/p>\n

The number 4 is originally pronounced \u3057, or shi<\/em> in the dominant kango<\/em> counting style. This bears an unfortunate resemblance to the Japanese word for \u201cdeath,\u201d or \u6b7b\uff08\u3057\u3001shi<\/em>\uff09. The second pronunciation for the number 4 is \u3088\u3093, or yon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the number 9 is pronounced \u304f, or ku<\/em>. This sounds like \u82e6\uff08\u304f\u3001ku<\/em>\uff09 or \u201cagony, suffering.\u201d Nobody wants that, so a slight variation was created: \u304d\u3085\u3046, or kyuu<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While it isn\u2019t related to an unpleasant word, the number 7 \uff08\u3057\u3061\u3001shichi<\/em>\uff09was also given an alternative pronunciation. This is because it sounded a little too like 1, or \u3044\u3061\uff08ichi<\/em>\uff09! The number 7 is alternatively pronounced \u306a\u306a, or nana<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that while the alternative pronunciations of these two numbers are by far more commonly used, the original pronunciations are still more appropriate depending on what is being counted. This is more for the sake of audible aesthetics than anything else. We\u2019ll be sure to let you know which pronunciation to use, so don\u2019t worry! Let\u2019s dive into the meat of this article.<\/p>\n

Japanese Numbers 1-10<\/h2>\n

Bearing in mind what we\u2019ve just learned about the different counting styles and exceptions for certain numbers, let\u2019s try counting to 10 in Japanese!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Numeral<\/strong><\/td>\nKango<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nReading<\/strong><\/td>\nWago<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nReading<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e00<\/td>\n\u3044\u3061\u3001ichi<\/em><\/td>\n\u4e00\u3064<\/td>\n\u3072\u3068\u3064\u3001hitotsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c<\/td>\n\u306b\u3001ni<\/em><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u3064<\/td>\n\u3075\u305f\u3064\u3001futatsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u3001san<\/em><\/td>\n\u4e09\u3064<\/td>\n\u307f\u3063\u3064\u3001mittsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/strong><\/td>\n\u56db<\/td>\n\u3057\/\u3088\u3093\u3001\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

shi\/yon<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u56db\u3064<\/td>\n\u3088\u3063\u3064\u3001yottsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e94<\/td>\n\u3054\u3001go<\/em><\/td>\n\u4e94\u3064<\/td>\n\u3044\u3064\u3064\u3001itsutsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516d<\/td>\n\u308d\u304f\u3001roku<\/em><\/td>\n\u516d\u3064<\/td>\n\u3080\u3063\u3064\u3001muttsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e03<\/td>\n\u3057\u3061\/\u306a\u306a\u3001\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

shichi\/nana<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u4e03\u3064<\/td>\n\u306a\u306a\u3064\u3001nanatsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516b<\/td>\n\u306f\u3061\u3001hachi<\/em><\/td>\n\u516b\u3064<\/td>\n\u3084\u3063\u3064\u3001yattsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e5d<\/td>\n\u304f\/\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3001\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

ku\/kyuu<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u4e5d\u3064<\/td>\n\u3053\u3053\u306e\u3064\u3001kokonotsu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001juu<\/em><\/td>\n\u5341<\/td>\n\u3068\u304a\u3001too<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Japanese Numbers 11-20<\/h2>\n

Are you still with us so far? Counting to 100 in Japanese is actually easier than it sounds, because Japanese numbers stack quite formulaically once you\u2019ve learned 1 through 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Number<\/strong><\/td>\nKango<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nReading<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e00<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3044\u3061\u3001juu ichi<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e8c<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306b\u3001juu ni<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e09<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3055\u3093\u3001juu san<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u56db<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3088\u3093\u3001juu yon<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e94<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3054\u3001juu go<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u516d<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u308d\u304f\u3001juu roku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e03<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306a\u306a\u3001juu nana<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u516b<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306f\u3061\u3001juu hachi<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e5d<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3001juu kyuu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001ni juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Have you noticed the pattern? It\u2019s 10\uff08\u5341\uff09+ 1~9. <\/strong>You might also have realized that 4, 7, and 9 are being used with their alternative pronunciations. This will be the same for the reverse of this formula when we hit powers of 10.<\/p>\n

Japanese Numbers 20-100<\/h2>\n

As we just mentioned, there is a formula for 20~100 as well. It\u2019s the opposite<\/em> of 11~20: 2~9 + 10 (+ 1~9). <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Number<\/strong><\/td>\nKango<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nReading<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001ni juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e00<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3044\u3061\u3001ni juu ichi<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e8c<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306b\u3001ni juu ni<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e09<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3055\u3093\u3001ni juu san<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u56db<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3088\u3093\u3001ni juu yon<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e94<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3054\u3001ni juu go<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
26<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u516d<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u308d\u304f\u3001ni juu roku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
27<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e03<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306a\u306a\u3001ni juu nana<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u516b<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306f\u3061\u3001ni juu hachi<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u5341\u4e5d<\/td>\n\u306b\u3058\u3085\u3046\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3001ni juu kyuu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09\u5341<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001san juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40<\/strong><\/td>\n\u56db\u5341<\/td>\n\u3088\u3093\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001yon juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e94\u5341<\/td>\n\u3054\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001go juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
60<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516d\u5341<\/td>\n\u308d\u304f\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001roku juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
70<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e03\u5341<\/td>\n\u306a\u306a\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001nana juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
80<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516b\u5341<\/td>\n\u306f\u3061\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001hachi juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
90<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e5d\u5341<\/td>\n\u304d\u3085\u3046\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3001kyuu juu<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100<\/strong><\/td>\n\u767e<\/td>\n\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Again, the numbers 4, 7, and 9 are still being pronounced using the alternative style. Can you see the formula at work here? Counting in Japanese is mostly about sticking to the basic numbers and then stacking them.<\/p>\n

Up we go! Counting over 100 in Japanese<\/h2>\n

While larger numbers might seem daunting in a new language, counting larger numbers is important in Japanese for money reasons. If you ever decide to visit Japan, you\u2019ll find that only the coins (measured in yen<\/em>, or \uffe5\/\u5186) are below 100. Most purchases you make in Japan will be over 100 yen<\/em>! That said, counting over 100 is just like counting up<\/em> to 100: there\u2019s a steady, formulaic pattern to it, and you just have to learn a few new numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Number<\/strong><\/td>\nKango<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nReading<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100<\/strong><\/td>\n\u767e<\/td>\n\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
200<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u767e<\/td>\n\u306b\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001ni hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
300<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09\u767e<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u3073\u3083\u304f<\/strong>\u3001san<\/em> byaku<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
400<\/strong><\/td>\n\u56db\u767e<\/td>\n\u3088\u3093\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001yon hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
500<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e94\u767e<\/td>\n\u3054\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001go hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
600<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516d\u767e<\/td>\n\u308d\u3063\u3074\u3083\u304f<\/strong>\u3001ro<\/em>ppyaku<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
700<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e03\u767e<\/td>\n\u306a\u306a\u3072\u3083\u304f\u3001nana hyaku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
800<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516b\u767e<\/td>\n\u306f\u3063\u3074\u3083\u304f<\/strong>\u3001ha<\/em>ppyaku<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
900<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e5d\u767e<\/td>\n\u304d\u3085\u3072\u3083\u304f<\/strong>\u3001kyuhyaku<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1,000<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5343<\/td>\n\u305b\u3093\u3001sen<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10,000<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e07<\/td>\n\u307e\u3093\u3001man<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100,000<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e07<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u307e\u3093\u3001 juu man<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Million<\/strong><\/td>\n\u767e\u4e07<\/td>\n\u3072\u3083\u304f\u307e\u3093\u3001hyaku man<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hundred million<\/strong><\/td>\n\u61b6<\/td>\n\u304a\u304f\u3001oku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Billion<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u5104<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u304a\u304f\u3001juu oku<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trillion<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5146<\/td>\n\u3061\u3087\u3046\u3001chou<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

See? The numbers stack nicely. There are a few<\/em> notable changes in pronunciation. 300, 600, 800, and 900 are all slightly different than the other hundreds. This is to promote smoother speech, and you might find that 3, 6, and 8 often have pronunciation differences depending on how the syllables or sounds of words end up fitting together.<\/p>\n

In terms of money, you\u2019ll mostly be using the numbers between 100 and 10,000\u2014unless you plan on hitting it big in Japan! Still, it\u2019s helpful to know larger numbers just in case. For more information on big numbers in Japanese, check out Mondly\u2019s article<\/a> and Learn Japanese Adventure<\/a> for even more cool graphs and in-depth explanations on those daunting, long numbers.<\/p>\n

Zero in Japanese<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve covered the big Japanese numbers. What about really small numbers? How do you say \u201czero\u201d in Japanese? There are three different ways to depict the number 0, and each has a nuance to it.<\/p>\n

The original Japanese word for zero<\/em> is \u96f6\uff08\u308c\u3044\u3001rei<\/em>\uff09. However, it is hardly used in modern day Japanese. One instance in which you definitely would<\/em> use it would be if the temperature were 0 degrees! That\u2019s Celsius for Japan, by the way. \u96f6\u5ea6\uff08\u308c\u3044\u3069\u3001reido<\/em>\uff09is 0\u00b0Celsius.<\/p>\n

Ironically, Japanese people use the borrowed word for zero more often than they do their own. \u30bc\u30ed (pronounced \u201czeh-ro\u201d) is the most popular way to refer to the number 0. \u30bc\u30edis applicable in almost every instance that the number 0 appears\u2014except, of course, for 0\u00b0Celsius.<\/p>\n

Finally, you could say \u4e38\uff08\u307e\u308b\u3001maru<\/em>\uff09 to refer to 0. Maru<\/em> technically means \u201ccircle.\u201d It was used more commonly a few decades ago, but these days is only pronounced if a zero is found in a building number. For example, the apartment number 202 would be pronounced \u4e8c\u3007\u4e8c\uff08\u306b\u307e\u308b\u306b\u3001ni maru ni<\/em>\uff09. We would recommend against using the word maru <\/em>too ambitiously\u2014apparently it\u2019s a pretty outdated term!<\/p>\n

Japanese Numbers and Counters<\/h2>\n

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned counters and how they work in tandem with numbers when you\u2019re counting in Japanese. However, there is an astonishing amount<\/a> of different counters in the Japanese language. Even Japanese people don\u2019t remember all of them! It\u2019s a big topic to tackle, so we\u2019ll just give you a peek at the most useful and common ones for now. Here are a few simple counters you can practice with. You\u2019re guaranteed to hear these every day in Japan!<\/p>\n

\u500b\uff08\u3053\u3001ko<\/em>\uff09\u2013 counter for small objects<\/h3>\n

Although the counter ko<\/em> is technically supposed to be for small, hard objects, it gets thrown around with pretty much any object when the speaker doesn\u2019t feel like figuring out which counter is best.<\/p>\n

Many native speakers have recommended that I just use ko<\/em> if I\u2019m confused, as everyone<\/em> knows it. Ko<\/em> is only used with the kango<\/em> counting style. Here\u2019s an example of how to count things using ko<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1 object<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e00\u500b<\/td>\n\u3044\u3063\u3053\u3001ikko<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 objects<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u500b<\/td>\n\u306b\u3053\u3001niko<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 objects<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09\u500b<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u3053\u3001sanko<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4 objects<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e94\u500b<\/td>\n\u3088\u3093\u3053\u3001yonko<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 objects<\/strong><\/td>\n\u516d\u500b<\/td>\n\u308d\u3063\u3053\u3001rokko<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6 objects<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e03\u500b<\/td>\n\u306a\u306a\u3053\u3001nanako<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u6642\uff08\u3058\u3001ji<\/em>\uff09and \u5206\uff08\u3075\u3093\u3001fun<\/em>\uff09\u2013 hours and minutes<\/h3>\n

In Japan, trains are always on time\u2014let\u2019s make sure you can tell the time! The counter for hours in Japanese is ji<\/em>, and the counter for minutes is fun<\/em>. To say the time in Japanese, you would say number\u6642 number \u5206. <\/strong>Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
12 o\u2019clock<\/strong><\/td>\n\u5341\u4e8c\u6642<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085\u3046\u306b\u3058\u3001juu ni ji <\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:30<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e00\u6642\u534a<\/td>\n\u3044\u3061\u3058\u306f\u3093\u3001ichi ji han<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:45<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09\u6642\u56db\u5341\u4e94\u5206<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u3058\u3088\u3093\u3058\u3085\u3046\u3054\u3075\u3093\u3001\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

san ji yon juu go fun<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The word \u534a\uff08\u306f\u3093\u3001han<\/em>\uff09 means \u201chalf\u201d and is always used at the half-hour mark. Also, keep in mind that many people use military time in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u4eba\uff08\u306b\u3093\u3001nin<\/em>\uff09\u2013 counting people<\/h2>\n

If you visit a restaurant in a group of people, you\u2019ll need this counter. To count the number of people in a room or a group, you\u2019ll actually need to use both the wago<\/em> and kango<\/em> counting styles. 1 and 2 will be in wago<\/em>, and the rest will be in kango<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1 person<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e00\u4eba<\/td>\n\u3072\u3068\u308a\u3001hitori<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 people<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e8c\u4eba<\/td>\n\u3075\u305f\u308a\u3001futari<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 people<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e09\u4eba<\/td>\n\u3055\u3093\u306b\u3093\u3001san nin<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4 people<\/strong><\/td>\n\u56db\u4eba<\/td>\n\u3088\u3093\u306b\u3093\u3001yon nin<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 people<\/strong><\/td>\n\u4e94\u4eba<\/td>\n\u3054\u306b\u3093\u3001go nin<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Japanese Numbers \u2013 Questions and Phrases<\/h2>\n

Here are some great questions and phrases that are related to Japanese numbers. You might have to answer them with some of the numbers you\u2019ve learned in this article, so it\u2019s best to start practicing now!<\/p>\n