Japanese Numbers 1–10: Counting Basics

Japanese uses two number systems. Native readings (hitotsu, futatsu…) appear in set phrases and informal counting up to ten. Sino-Japanese readings (ichi, ni, san…) dominate dates, money, floors, and most compound words. Learn both — textbooks start with Sino-Japanese because it scales to any large number.

Sino-Japanese 1–10

| Digit | Kanji | Reading | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 一 | ichi | | 2 | 二 | ni | | 3 | 三 | san | | 4 | 四 | yon / shi | | 5 | 五 | go | | 6 | 六 | roku | | 7 | 七 | nana / shichi | | 8 | 八 | hachi | | 9 | 九 | kyuu / ku | | 10 | 十 | juu |

Start with ichi — it shows up in 一番 (ichiban, number one / the best) and countless compounds. Juu (ten) combines with digits for teens and tens: 十一 (juuichi, eleven), 二十 (nijuu, twenty).

Example sentences:

りんごを三つ買いました。
Ringo o mittsu kaimashita. — “I bought three apples.”

駅は十分歩きます。
Eki wa juppun arukimasu. — “It is a ten-minute walk to the station.”

Notice mittsu (native counter form) vs juu before a counter — sounds shift. That is normal.

Native counting 1–10

Use these when counting objects without a specific counter lesson, or in traditional expressions:

ひとつ、ふたつ、みっつ、よっつ、いつつ、むっつ、ななつ、やっつ、ここのつ、とお

hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu, muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, too

Example:

みかんを二つください。
Mikan o futatsu kudasai. — “Two mandarins, please.”

Why 四 and 七 have two readings

Shi (four) overlaps with the word for death, so yon is common in hospitals and hotels. Shichi (seven) can blur with ichi (one) on a bad phone line, so nana is safer in clarity-sensitive contexts. When in doubt, use yon and nana.

Counters preview

Numbers rarely stand alone before nouns. You need a counter (josuushi). General small objects often use 〜つ (tsu) on native readings. Long thin objects use 〜本 (hon). People use 〜人 (nin), with irregular readings for one, two, and three people.

Our article on counter tsu walks through the native tsu series and when it replaces Sino-Japanese digits.

Practice by reading prices aloud at the supermarket: 三百二十八円 (sanbyaku nijuuhachi en) — “328 yen.” The rhythm matters more than speed.

Drill idea

Pick five objects at home. Say the count aloud with hitotsu / futatsu … then repeat with ichi, ni, san attached to the correct counter if you know it. One minute daily fixes more than a single long cram session.