How to Count from 1 to 10 in Japanese

Counting numbers is one of the first skills everyone needs to know when learning a new language. Japanese has two sets of numbers to learn: the Chinese character system (Sino-Japanese) and the pure Japanese system (Wago). The pure Japanese system is only used to count up to 10. The kanji system also requires you to add a count particle after the number to indicate the type of thing being counted. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Count to 10 in pure Japanese (Wago)

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Know when you can use pure Japanese counting. The pure Japanese system is usually simpler than the kanji system and is only used to count things from 1 to 10. This set of numbers is also considered a popular way of counting. However, you cannot use the pure Japanese system to count money, time, or people. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Pure Japanese counting doesn’t have a count particle, so it’s easier to use in everyday life, for example when you want to order 1 cup of coffee or 3 servings of sushi.

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Start with numbers 1 to 5. Use flashcards or a similar method to learn the first 5 numbers in pure Japanese counting. If you know how to read the Hiragana alphabet, you can hear these words. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

One (1) is ひとつ ( hitotsu , pronounced “hee-toh-tsoo”).
Two (2) is ふたつ ( futatsu , pronounced “foo-tah-tsoo”).
Three (3) is みっつ ( mittsu , pronounced “mee-tsoo.” Stop a beat between two syllables).
Four (4) is よっつ ( yottsu , pronounced “yoh-tsoo”).
Five (5) is いつつ ( itsutsu , pronounced “ee-tsoo-tsoo”).
There is no number representing zero (0) in pure Japanese counting. If you want to count zero, you must use Kanji in the Chinese character system.

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Continue learning the numbers from 6 to 10. Once you have mastered the first 5 numbers, you will move on to the next 5 numbers with the same practice methods as when learning to count the first 5 numbers. Now you can count to 10 in pure Japanese, or Wago. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Six (6) is むっつ ( muttsu , pronounced “moo-tsoo”).
Seven (7) is ななつ ( nanatsu , pronounced “nah-nah-tsoo”).
Eight (8) is やっつ ( yattsu , pronounced “yah-tsoo”).
Nine (9) is ここのつ ( kokonotsu , pronounced “koh-koh-noh-tsoo”).
Ten (10) is とう ( tou , pronounced “toh”).
You may have noticed that, aside from 10, all other numbers have the ending sound “tsu” (つ). When reading Kanji, you will know which numbering system is used based on whether the numbers end with this character.

Using the kanji system

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Memorize words and characters for numbers 1 to 5. The kanji system uses Kanji to record each number. The pronunciation of these characters is different from the pronunciation of pure Japanese characters. Use flashcards or a similar method to memorize these words and their pronunciation. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

One (1) is 一 ( ichi , pronounced “ee-chee”).
Two (2) are 二 ( ni , pronounced “nee”).
The three (3) i are 三 ( san , pronounced “sahn”).
Four (4) are 四 ( shi , pronounced “shee”). Since the word sounds similar to the Japanese word for “death,” the pronunciation yon is used instead – especially when talking about people.
Five (5) is 五 ( go , pronounced “goh”).

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Switch to characters and numbers from 6 to 10. Once you have learned the Kanji characters and the pronunciation of numbers 1 to 5, you can learn the next 5 numbers. Practice until you are as good as the first 5 numbers. So you can count to 10 in kanji. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Six (6) is 六 ( roku , pronounced “loh-koo”).
Seven (7) is 七 ( shichi , pronounced “shee-chee”). Since this is also pronounced like shi , like the number four, the pronunciation nana is often used instead.
Eight (8) is 八 ( hachi , pronounced “hah-chee”).
Nine (9) is 九 ( kyuu , pronounced “kyoo”).
Ten (10) is 十 ( juu , pronounced “joo”).
You can also use pure Japanese Kanji. Just add the character “tsu” (つ) after the kanji. For example, the number 1 would be 一つ. You will read this number as hitotsu , not ichi .

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Combine characters to make larger numbers. Once you know how to count to 10, counting the larger numbers will be as light as the wind. Unlike English and other European languages, Japanese has no new words to learn. If you divide the number into parts and combine the characters for each part, you can count to 99 with 10 letters. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, 31 is 三十一: Three tens and one. You can read it as san juu ichi . 54 is 五十四: Five tens and fours. You will read it as go juu shi .

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Add 目 ( me , pronounced “meh”) to count ordinal numbers. If you want to say “first” or “second” instead of the usual number, add the letter 目 after the number. Read the number and the letter 目 that follows. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For example, 目 means “first.” You will read as ichi me (pronounced “ee-chee meh”).
Count similarly with larger numbers. For example, 三十一目 means “thirty-first.” In most cases, however, you’ll be talking about something 31st, such as someone’s 31st or 31st birthday. To say this, you’ll need a word called a count particle that matches that thing.

Learn basic counting particles

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Counting people with the particle 人 ( nin , pronounced “neen”). While many counting particles can apply to many things, none of them apply to counting people. When counting people, you should always add the word 人 after the number. ^{[9] X Research Source}

For example, 九人 ( kyuu nin , pronounced “kyoo neen”) means “nine people.”
The first two particles are exceptions. If you want to refer to “one person”, 一人, you would say hitori (pronounced “hee-tohr-ee”). If you wanted to mean “two people”, 二人, you would say futari (pronounced “foo-tah-lee”). For all the remaining numbers, you just need to add the word nin to the word count.

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Use the particle つ ( tsu , pronounced “tsoo”) for three-dimensional objects. Although Japanese has hundreds of specific particles, this particle can be used to count almost anything. It is not only for 3-D solid objects, but also for things that have no specific shape, such as shadows or sound waves. ^{[10] X Research Source}

For numbers from 1 to 10, つ is used in the pure Japanese system, not in the kanji system.
Although this count particle applies to three-dimensional objects, it can also be used for abstract things such as thoughts, opinions, ideas, or reasons.
Use the particle tsu when you’re ordering something – from a cup of coffee to sushi rolls or concert tickets.

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Use the particle 個 ( ko , pronounced “koh”) to count things with clear boundaries. The particle ko is just as useful as the particle tsu , and there’s a lot of overlap between the two. However, there are some limitations that tsu doesn’t have. ^{[11] X Research Source}

For example, you can use ko to talk about the age difference between one person and another, but not to talk about a person’s age.
In general, if you use ko or tsu as an auxiliary, people will understand what you mean.

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Add 目 ( me , pronounced “meh”) after a particle to indicate order. When you use a number and a particle, you express a count. If you add 目 after the particle, it will indicate the order of the thing (instead of a number). ^{[12] X Research Source}

For example, 一回 means “once.” However, if you add 目 to it, you get 一回目, which means “first time.”
Similarly, 四人 means “four people.” When 目 is added, the phrase becomes 四人目, “fourth person.”

Advice

Since the number “一” can be easily changed to other numbers, more complex kanji are used to refer to money and financial and legal records. ^{[13] X Research Source}
Western and Arabic numbers are often used in horizontal writing, while Kanji characters are used in vertical writing. ^{[14] X Research Source}
If the concept of “assistant” seems confusing and complicated to you, remember that technically all languages use particles. For example, in Vietnamese, you can’t say you have 5 soils – you have to say 5 piles . The only difference in Japanese is that everything has a particle, not just irregular shaped objects. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Steps

Count to 10 in pure Japanese (Wago)

Using the kanji system

Learn basic counting particles

Advice

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