Chinese-Origin Numbers (Sino-Japanese): 1-20
The Sino-Japanese number system is the one you'll use most often. These numbers originate from Chinese and are used for math, telling time, phone numbers, dates, and general counting with counter words.
Understanding Problematic Numbers
The numbers 4 and 7 each have two readings. For 4, use 'yon' rather than 'shi' because shi sounds like the Japanese word for death. For 7, use 'nana' rather than 'shichi' to avoid confusion with ichi (one).
Pronunciation and Usage
Each number below includes hiragana, kanji, phonetic spelling, and a real-world example. These patterns establish the foundation for all larger numbers.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 (いち) | one (1) | ee-chee | 一つください。Ichi-ji ni aimashō. (Let's meet at one o'clock.) |
| 二 (に) | two (2) | nee | 二人で行きます。Futari de ikimasu. (Two of us will go.) |
| 三 (さん) | three (3) | sahn | 三月は春です。San-gatsu wa haru desu. (March is spring.) |
| 四 (し/よん) | four (4) | shee / yohn | 四時に会いましょう。Yo-ji ni aimashō. (Let's meet at four o'clock.) |
| 五 (ご) | five (5) | goh | 五分待ってください。Go-fun matte kudasai. (Please wait five minutes.) |
| 六 (ろく) | six (6) | roh-koo | 六月は雨が多い。Roku-gatsu wa ame ga ōi. (June has a lot of rain.) |
| 七 (しち/なな) | seven (7) | shee-chee / nah-nah | 七時に起きます。Shichi-ji ni okimasu. (I wake up at seven.) |
| 八 (はち) | eight (8) | hah-chee | 八百円です。Happyaku-en desu. (It's 800 yen.) |
| 九 (きゅう/く) | nine (9) | kyoo / koo | 九月に帰ります。Ku-gatsu ni kaerimasu. (I return in September.) |
| 十 (じゅう) | ten (10) | joo | 十個あります。Juk-ko arimasu. (There are ten of them.) |
| 十一 (じゅういち) | eleven (11) | joo-ee-chee | 十一月は寒くなります。Jūichi-gatsu wa samuku narimasu. (November gets cold.) |
| 十二 (じゅうに) | twelve (12) | joo-nee | 十二時にお昼ご飯を食べます。Jūni-ji ni ohiru-gohan o tabemasu. (I eat lunch at twelve.) |
| 十三 (じゅうさん) | thirteen (13) | joo-sahn | 十三歳です。Jūsan-sai desu. (I am thirteen years old.) |
| 十四 (じゅうよん) | fourteen (14) | joo-yohn | 十四日に届きます。Jūyokka ni todokimasu. (It arrives on the fourteenth.) |
| 十五 (じゅうご) | fifteen (15) | joo-goh | 十五分かかります。Jūgo-fun kakarimasu. (It takes fifteen minutes.) |
| 十六 (じゅうろく) | sixteen (16) | joo-roh-koo | 十六人が参加しました。Jūroku-nin ga sanka shimashita. (Sixteen people participated.) |
| 十七 (じゅうなな) | seventeen (17) | joo-nah-nah | 十七ページを開いてください。Jūnana-pēji o hiraite kudasai. (Please open to page seventeen.) |
| 十八 (じゅうはち) | eighteen (18) | joo-hah-chee | 十八歳で成人です。Jūhassai de seijin desu. (You are an adult at eighteen.) |
| 十九 (じゅうきゅう) | nineteen (19) | joo-kyoo | 十九番目です。Jūkyū-banme desu. (It is the nineteenth.) |
| 二十 (にじゅう) | twenty (20) | nee-joo | 二十歳の誕生日おめでとう。Nijussai no tanjōbi omedetō. (Happy twentieth birthday.) |
Native Japanese Numbers (Wago): 1-10
The native Japanese counting system, known as wago or yamato kotoba, covers only 1 to 10. These numbers are used when counting general objects without a specific counter word, such as ordering items at a restaurant.
When to Use Native Numbers
You'll hear native numbers often in everyday Japanese. They're natural when counting abstract things or objects. Above 10, the native system is not used. The Sino-Japanese system takes over entirely.
Key Characteristic
All native Japanese numbers end in the suffix tsu or tu, making them instantly recognizable.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一つ (ひとつ) | one thing (1) | hee-toh-tsoo | りんごを一つください。Ringo o hitotsu kudasai. (One apple, please.) |
| 二つ (ふたつ) | two things (2) | foo-tah-tsoo | 問題が二つあります。Mondai ga futatsu arimasu. (There are two problems.) |
| 三つ (みっつ) | three things (3) | meet-tsoo | 箱が三つ届きました。Hako ga mittsu todokimashita. (Three boxes arrived.) |
| 四つ (よっつ) | four things (4) | yoht-tsoo | 角を四つ曲がってください。Kado o yottsu magatte kudasai. (Turn four corners.) |
| 五つ (いつつ) | five things (5) | ee-tsoo-tsoo | 質問が五つあります。Shitsumon ga itsutsu arimasu. (I have five questions.) |
| 六つ (むっつ) | six things (6) | moot-tsoo | 卵を六つ買いました。Tamago o muttsu kaimashita. (I bought six eggs.) |
| 七つ (ななつ) | seven things (7) | nah-nah-tsoo | 七つの海を旅した。Nanatsu no umi o tabi shita. (Traveled the seven seas.) |
| 八つ (やっつ) | eight things (8) | yaht-tsoo | 椅子が八つあります。Isu ga yattsu arimasu. (There are eight chairs.) |
| 九つ (ここのつ) | nine things (9) | koh-koh-noh-tsoo | 九つ全部終わりました。Kokonotsu zenbu owarimashita. (All nine are finished.) |
| 十 (とお) | ten things (10) | toh-oh | 数を十まで数えて。Kazu o tō made kazoete. (Count the numbers to ten.) |
Japanese Tens and Patterns to 100
Building numbers above 20 in Japanese follows one simple pattern: say the multiplier, then jū (ten), then the ones digit. For example, 35 is san-jū go (three-tens-five).
Why This System Is Logical
This pattern is completely regular with no exceptions. It makes Japanese one of the most consistent counting systems in any language. Once you learn 1-10, you can construct any number.
Practice the Pattern
Try mentally building these numbers: 42, 56, 78, 91. Each follows the same formula with no irregularities.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 三十 (さんじゅう) | thirty (30) | sahn-joo | 三十分で着きます。Sanjuppun de tsukimasu. (We'll arrive in thirty minutes.) |
| 四十 (よんじゅう) | forty (40) | yohn-joo | 四十人の生徒がいます。Yonjū-nin no seito ga imasu. (There are forty students.) |
| 五十 (ごじゅう) | fifty (50) | goh-joo | 五十パーセントオフです。Gojū pāsento ofu desu. (It's fifty percent off.) |
| 六十 (ろくじゅう) | sixty (60) | roh-koo-joo | 六十秒待って。Rokujū-byō matte. (Wait sixty seconds.) |
| 七十 (ななじゅう) | seventy (70) | nah-nah-joo | 七十点を取りました。Nanajū-ten o torimashita. (I scored seventy points.) |
| 八十 (はちじゅう) | eighty (80) | hah-chee-joo | 八十キロで走っています。Hachijū-kiro de hashitte imasu. (Driving at eighty kilometers.) |
| 九十 (きゅうじゅう) | ninety (90) | kyoo-joo | 九十歳のおばあさん。Kyūjussai no obāsan. (A ninety-year-old grandmother.) |
| 百 (ひゃく) | one hundred (100) | hyah-koo | 百円ショップで買いました。Hyaku-en shoppu de kaimashita. (I bought it at the hundred-yen shop.) |
Common Japanese Counter Words
Counter words (josūshi) are suffixes attached to numbers when counting specific object types. Using the wrong counter sounds unnatural, much like saying 'a herd of paper' in English.
Why Counters Matter
Counter words classify objects by their physical properties. There are over 500 counter words in Japanese, but daily life requires only 20-30.
Essential Counters for Daily Life
Learn the most common ones below. When in doubt, the native Japanese numbers (hitotsu, futatsu, etc.) work as a fallback.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜人 (にん) | counter for people | neen | 三人家族です。San-nin kazoku desu. (It's a family of three.) |
| 〜個 (こ) | counter for small objects | koh | りんごを三個ください。Ringo o san-ko kudasai. (Three apples, please.) |
| 〜本 (ほん) | counter for long, thin objects | hohn | ペンを二本持っています。Pen o ni-hon motte imasu. (I have two pens.) |
| 〜枚 (まい) | counter for flat objects | my | 切符を一枚買いました。Kippu o ichi-mai kaimashita. (I bought one ticket.) |
| 〜匹 (ひき) | counter for small animals | hee-kee | 猫を二匹飼っています。Neko o ni-hiki katte imasu. (I have two cats.) |
| 〜冊 (さつ) | counter for books/volumes | sah-tsoo | 本を五冊読みました。Hon o go-satsu yomimashita. (I read five books.) |
| 〜杯 (はい) | counter for cups/glasses | hy | コーヒーを一杯ください。Kōhī o ippai kudasai. (One coffee, please.) |
| 〜台 (だい) | counter for machines/vehicles | dy | 車が三台あります。Kuruma ga san-dai arimasu. (There are three cars.) |
How to Study Japanese Effectively
Mastering Japanese requires the right study approach, not just more hours. Research in cognitive science shows three techniques produce the best outcomes.
The Three Science-Backed Techniques
Active recall tests yourself rather than re-reading. Spaced repetition reviews material at scientifically-optimized intervals. Interleaving mixes related topics instead of studying one in isolation. FluentFlash is built around all three.
When you study Japanese numbers with our FSRS algorithm, every term is scheduled for review at the exact moment you're about to forget it. This maximizes retention while minimizing study time.
Why Passive Review Fails
Re-reading notes, highlighting textbook passages, or watching videos feels productive. Studies show these methods produce only 10-20% of the retention that active recall achieves. Flashcards force your brain to retrieve information, strengthening memory pathways far more than recognition alone.
A Practical Study Plan
Start by creating 15-25 flashcards covering the highest-priority concepts. Review them daily for the first week using FSRS scheduling. As cards become easier, intervals automatically expand from minutes to days to weeks. You're always working on material at the edge of your knowledge.
After 2-3 weeks of consistent practice, Japanese concepts become automatic rather than effortful to recall.
- 1
Generate flashcards using FluentFlash AI or create them manually from your notes
- 2
Study 15-20 new cards per day, plus scheduled reviews
- 3
Use multiple study modes (flip, multiple choice, written) to strengthen recall
- 4
Track your progress and identify weak topics for focused review
- 5
Review consistently, daily practice beats marathon sessions
Why Flashcards Work Better Than Other Study Methods for Japanese
Flashcards are one of the most research-backed study tools for any subject, including Japanese. The reason comes down to how memory works. When you read a textbook passage, your brain stores that information in short-term memory. Without retrieval practice, it fades within hours.
How Retrieval Builds Memory
Flashcards force retrieval, which transfers information from short-term to long-term memory. The testing effect, documented in hundreds of peer-reviewed studies, shows flashcard users outperform re-readers by 30-60% on delayed tests.
This isn't because flashcards contain more information. It's because retrieval strengthens neural pathways in ways passive exposure cannot. Every time you recall a concept from a flashcard, you make that concept easier to recall next time.
FSRS Makes Flashcards Even More Powerful
FluentFlash amplifies this effect with the FSRS algorithm, a modern spaced repetition system. It schedules reviews at mathematically-optimal intervals based on your actual performance. Cards you find easy get pushed further into the future. Cards you struggle with come back sooner.
Over time, this builds remarkable retention with minimal time investment. Students using FSRS-based systems typically retain 85-95% of material after 30 days, compared to roughly 20% retention from passive review alone.