Japanese Numbers Kanji: Learn to Count & Write Numbers
Master Japanese number kanji (零 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十 百 千 万) with free interactive quizzes, flashcards, and study guides. Learn both native Japanese (ひとつ, ふたつ) and Sino-Japanese (いち, に, さん) counting systems.
Japanese Numbers at a Glance
🔢 Two Number Systems
Native Japanese numbers (いち, に, さん) and Sino-Japanese numbers (一, 二, 三) serve different purposes in daily conversation.
📝 Essential for Daily Life
Counting is fundamental to Japanese. You need number kanji for prices, dates, times, phone numbers, and addresses.
✅ JLPT Beginner Level
Numbers appear on JLPT N5, N4, and all higher levels. Master them early for fast progress.
Japanese Number Kanji 1–10
The foundation of Japanese counting. Each number has a kanji character, a Sino-Japanese reading (used for math, counting), and a native Japanese reading (used in conversation).
| Number | Kanji | Sino-Japanese | Native Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | ぜろ / れい(zero / rei) | なし(none) | Zero |
| 1 | 一 | いち(ichi) | ひとつ(hitotsu) | One |
| 2 | 二 | に(ni) | ふたつ(futatsu) | Two |
| 3 | 三 | さん(san) | みっつ(mittsu) | Three |
| 4 | 四 | し / よん(shi / yon) | よっつ(yottsu) | Four |
| 5 | 五 | ご(go) | いつつ(itsutsu) | Five |
| 6 | 六 | ろく(roku) | むっつ(muttsu) | Six |
| 7 | 七 | しち / なな(shichi / nana) | ななつ(nanatsu) | Seven |
| 8 | 八 | はち(hachi) | やっつ(yattsu) | Eight |
| 9 | 九 | きゅう / く(kyuu / ku) | ここのつ(kokonotsu) | Nine |
| 10 | 十 | じゅう(juu) | とお(too) | Ten |
Large Number Kanji
These kanji appear everywhere in Japanese daily life: prices, years, distances, and more.
Two Counting Systems Explained
Japanese has two distinct number systems, and knowing when to use each is essential for fluency.
Sino-Japanese Numbers (音読み)
Borrowed from Chinese, used for:
- •Telling time (いちじ = 1 o'clock)
- •Counting money (ひゃくえん = 100 yen)
- •Phone numbers and addresses
- •Math and arithmetic
- •Dates and years (にせんにじゅうご = 2025)
- •Most counter words attach to Sino-Japanese numbers
いち (1), に (2), さん (3), し/よん (4), ご (5), ろく (6), しち/なな (7), はち (8), きゅう/く (9), じゅう (10)
Native Japanese Numbers (訓読み)
Traditional Japanese counting, used for:
- •Counting objects without a counter (up to 10)
- •Ages of young children
- •How many people in casual speech
- •Traditional Japanese counting
- •Some counter expressions (一つ, 二つ…)
- •Only goes up to 10; after that, use Sino-Japanese
ひとつ (1), ふたつ (2), みっつ (3), よっつ (4), いつつ (5), むっつ (6), ななつ (7), やっつ (8), ここのつ (9), とお (10)
Japanese Counter Words (助数詞)
In Japanese, counting objects requires special "counter" words that attach to numbers. The counter changes depending on the type of object.
りんご三個 (3 apples), たまご六個 (6 eggs)
えんぴつ二本 (2 pencils), びん三本 (3 bottles)
かみ一枚 (1 sheet of paper), シャツ五枚 (5 shirts)
ほん三冊 (3 books), ざっし二冊 (2 magazines)
いぬ二匹 (2 dogs), ねこ四匹 (4 cats)
くるま一台 (1 car), パソコン三台 (3 computers)
みず一杯 (1 glass of water), コーヒー二杯 (2 coffees)
ひとり (1 person), ふたり (2 people), さんにん (3 people)
How to Read Large Numbers in Japanese
Japanese groups numbers in units of 10,000 (万, まん) rather than 1,000 like English. This can be confusing at first!
Tips for Memorizing Number Kanji
Write Them Repeatedly
Number kanji have simple stroke patterns. Write each one 10 times to build muscle memory. 一 is one horizontal stroke, 二 is two, 三 is three. Very logical!
Practice with Real Prices
Japanese prices are great practice. A convenience store receipt like "¥1,480" becomes 千四百八十円. Reading prices trains your brain to parse large numbers fast.
Learn Dates Early
Japanese dates use number kanji directly: 二〇二五年一月二十日 (January 20th, 2025). Learning the date format gives you instant daily practice.
Use Spaced Repetition
Our free quiz app uses spaced repetition to show you number kanji at exactly the right time for maximum retention. Spend 5 minutes a day reviewing.
Master Both Readings
Don't just learn いち, に, さん. Study ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ too. Native Japanese numbers are used in casual speech and essential for true fluency.
Practice Mental Math in Japanese
Try doing simple arithmetic (5+3, 12×2) using Japanese readings in your head. This builds automatic number recognition that feels natural.
Ready to Master Numbers & Counting?
Practice with our interactive kanji quizzes and build fluency through gamified learning.
Start the Quiz →