Japanese Numbers — Reference & Audio

Numbers are one of the most useful things to learn early — prices, times, train platforms, floors. Click any card to hear the reading.

Core Numbers 1–10

Two readings for 4, 7, 9: Four = し (shi) or よん (yon). Seven = しち (shichi) or なな (nana). Nine = く (ku) or きゅう (kyuu). Which to use depends on the context — yon/nana/kyuu are safer in most everyday situations.

11–20

Formed by combining 十 (juu = 10) with the unit digit.

Tens: 10–100

Hundreds & Thousands

* Some hundreds have sound changes (rendaku): 300 = sanbyaku, 600 = roppyaku, 800 = happyaku. Click to hear: 三百 六百 八百

Counting objects (native Japanese numbers)

Used when counting things without a specific counter word. Only goes up to 10.

Times of day

Click to hear: 三時半 午前 午後

Days of the month

The first 10 days are irregular — after that it’s mostly [number] + 日 (nichi).