Numbers 1 to 100: The Phonetic Base
Counting in Japanese is remarkably logical once you master 1 through 10:
- 1: いち (ichi)
- 2: に (ni)
- 3: さん (san)
- 4: し / よん (shi / yon)
- 5: ご (go)
- 6: ろく (roku)
- 7: しち / なな (shichi / nana)
- 8: はち (hachi)
- 9: く / きゅう (ku / kyū)
- 10: じゅう (jū)
To form numbers from 11 to 99, combine them mathematically:
- 11 is 10 + 1: じゅういち (jū-ichi)
- 20 is 2 x 10: にじゅう (ni-jū)
- 45 is (4 x 10) + 5: よんじゅうご (yon-jū-go)
The 10,000 Shift: Understanding 万 (Man)
In Western numbering, comma separators shift every 3 zeroes: thousands (1,000), millions (1,000,000), and billions (1,000,000,000).
In Japanese, counting shifts every **4 zeroes (myriad system)** based around **万 (まん - man = 10,000)**!
- 10,000 = 一万 (ichi-man)
- 100,000 = 十万 (jū-man - ten 10,000s)
- 1,000,000 (One Million) = 百万 (hyaku-man - one hundred 10,000s)
- 10,000,000 = 一千万 (issen-man)
- 100,000,000 = 一億 (ichi-oku - next unit shift)
Mastering the Man shift is essential when shopping in Tokyo or calculating Japanese yen currency exchange.
The 5 Most Important Japanese Counters
In Japanese, you cannot simply say 'two coffees' or 'three books'. You must append a specific **counter suffix (助数詞 - josūshi)** based on the physical shape and nature of the item:
1. **〜つ (tsu):** The universal counter for abstract or general small items (ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ, よっつ, いつつ). When in doubt at a restaurant, use this!
2. **〜人 (nin):** Counter for people (Note irregulars: ひとり for 1 person, ふたり for 2 people; さんにん for 3+).
3. **〜本 (hon):** Counter for long cylindrical objects (pens, bottles, umbrellas, trees, trains).
4. **〜枚 (mai):** Counter for thin, flat items (paper, tickets, shirts, plates, pizza slices).
5. **〜匹 (hiki):** Counter for small animals (dogs, cats, fish, insects).