言い方ガイド

How to Say Anything in Japanese

A growing collection of Japanese number guides. Kanji, romaji, real example sentences, and the cultural stories behind every word.

Numbers 1 – 22

Master Japanese counting from the basics to everyday numbers you'll actually use.

一

1 in Japanese

ichi / hitotsu / hitori
The most essential number. Learn "ichi-go ichi-e" — the philosophy of treasuring every single encounter.
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二

2 in Japanese

ni / futatsu / futari
The number of pairs and harmony. Discover why futari means both "two people" and "a couple."
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三

3 in Japanese

san
The Three Views of Japan, sacred wedding rituals, and why 3 is the number of completeness.
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四

4 in Japanese

shi / yon
Navigate tetraphobia and the Four Seasons. Why yon saves you from death associations.
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五

5 in Japanese

go
Kodomo no Hi carp streamers, the lucky 5-yen coin, and five-story pagoda engineering.
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六

6 in Japanese

roku
The Six Realms of Buddhism, ancient pottery kilns, and the rainy season transformation.
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十

10 in Japanese

juu
The gateway to 11–99. Discover why turning 10 is a major milestone and how 10th dan is judo's highest honor.
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十一

11 in Japanese

juuichi
Pocky Day, baseball legends, and Studio Ghibli's 11 o'clock train — the stories behind eleven.
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十二

12 in Japanese

juuni
The zodiac hours, junior high transitions, and why 12 completes the cycle in Japanese culture.
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十三

13 in Japanese

juusan
Not unlucky in Japan. Learn why 13 is the age of junior high transformation and new uniforms.
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十四

14 in Japanese

juuyon
Valentine's Day twists, kendo strikes, and wrestling history — fourteen in Japanese culture.
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十五

15 in Japanese

juugo
Exam hell, tea ceremony rituals, and idol trainee thresholds — the pressure of fifteen.
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十六

16 in Japanese

juuroku
High school begins, the Great Buddha of Nara, and gaming age ratings — sixteen explained.
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十七

17 in Japanese

juushichi / juunana
The ronin gap year, AKB48 anthems, and Shohei Ohtani's scouting age — seventeen's stories.
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十八

18 in Japanese

juuhachi
New adulthood laws, university entrance peaks, and karate's 18 foundational techniques.
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十九

19 in Japanese

juukyuu / juuku
Exam hell's epicenter, Sadaharu Oh's first home run, and Arashi's 19th single — nineteen.
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二十

20 in Japanese

nijuu / hatachi
Coming of Age Ceremony, 20-year mastery philosophy, and film festival milestones — twenty.
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二十一

21 in Japanese

nijuu ichi
Job hunting year, New Year card games, and B'z's 21st album — twenty-one in Japan.
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二十二

22 in Japanese

nijuu ni
Graduation and first employment, visual symmetry in design, and baseball's bridge to MLB.
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二十三

23 in Japanese

nijuusan
Emperor's Birthday, Tokyo 23 Wards, and Shinji Kagawa's iconic jersey — twenty-three.
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二十四

24 in Japanese

nijuuyon
Solar terms, Christmas Eve romance, and the 24-hour konbini culture that never sleeps.
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Tens & Multiples

Round numbers and tens that power everyday counting, prices, and time.

三十

30 in Japanese

sanjuu
Misoji adulthood, the Heisei era's 30-year span, and the sanjuppun mae punctuality rule.
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四十

40 in Japanese

yonjuu
Shoro first old age, the 40-day memorial service, and summer heat survival limits.
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五十

50 in Japanese

gojuu
The gojuuon alphabet chart, the 50-yen coin hole, and Shinkansen's half-century legacy.
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Bigger numbers

Master the foundations of Japanese counting for prices, years, and quantities.

百

100 in Japanese

hyaku
The hundreds system, sound changes, and the 100-yen shop phenomenon that conquered the world.
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百二十三

123 in Japanese

hyaku nijuu san
The 'step ladder' number. Popular passwords, NPB jersey limits, and Lawson store math.
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六百

600 in Japanese

roppyaku
Noh theater's 600-year tradition, Fushimi Inari's 600 steps, and the roppyaku sound change rule.
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千

1000 in Japanese

sen
Unlock large quantities and money talk. Learn about senbazuru — the thousand origami cranes of peace.
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二千二十四

2024 in Japanese

nisen nijuu yon
Year of the Dragon, Japan's GDP milestone, and Olympic breakthroughs — 2024 in Japanese culture.
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万

10000 in Japanese

man / ichiman
Japan counts in 10,000s, not 1,000s. This changes everything about prices, salaries, and population.
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More numbers and phrases coming soon. Bookmark this page.

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