Numbers & Counters - BASIC
I skipped a few lessons, because I need to get this part off my head hehe.First of all, let us start with the basic numbers that I had been taught 10/12 years ago by my Karate instructor. (They don't need counters):
０１＝ いち
０２＝ に
０３＝ さん
０４＝ し／よん
０５＝ ご
０６＝ ろく
０７＝ しち／なな
０８＝ はち
０９＝ く／きゅう
１０＝ じゅう
Of course at that time I pronounced the numbers differently and imaginatively hehehe (you don't need to know how it sounded, let us just say, I gave my tutor a good laugh. Plus it took me quite sometime to get the wrong way out - I bet the trainer did it on purpose).
Anyway, here is a video that will help you pronounce it properly:
Of course at that time I pronounced the numbers differently and imaginatively hehehe (you don't need to know how it sounded, let us just say, I gave my tutor a good laugh. Plus it took me quite sometime to get the wrong way out - I bet the trainer did it on purpose).
Anyway, here is a video that will help you pronounce it properly:
Before I explain how to count I should give you a little information about Japanese numbers. All the number names originated from the ancient Chinese language Wu, but some of the numbers were later changed.
The Japanese believe in myths, superstitions and folklore, so the above numbers in red were renamed because Shi and Ku are the homonyms of death and agony. The traditional Japanese way of saying them is now Yon and Kyuu.
Shichi on the other hand, was renamed to Nana only because it sounded like ichi and the Japanese don't like to be confused, but LOVE confusing me.
All the number changes are used depending on the context though...UNFORTUNATELY, we'll learn about it later.
Moving on! Now that you've learned the basic way to count to 10, let us learn how to count beyond that.
Generally Japanese counting is easy. Why, you ask again, well that is because you don't need to learn more single numbers. All you have to do is add.
For example, to say 11 you just say 10 + 1, so that would be:
Jyuu（じゅう）+ Ichi（いち）= Jyuuichi（じゅういち）
Ni（に）+ Jyuu（じゅう）+ Ichi（いち）= Nijyuuichi（にじゅういち）
Now that that's settled, let us learn how to count higher and higher yet!
Counting from a hundred doesn't mean that you just add a number with Hyaku, sometimes the sound changes and you just have to memorise it that way. Let us count up and see the difference:
１００＝ ひゃく
２００＝ にひゃく
３００＝ さんびゃく
４００＝ よんひゃく
５００＝ ごひゃく
６００＝ ろっぴゃく
７００＝ ななひゃく
８００＝ はっぴゃく
９００＝ きゅうひゃく
As you can see some of the words have been shortened and some of the sounds changed.
Now let us count a little bit higher:
Now let us count a little bit higher:
１０００＝ せん
２０００＝ にせん
３０００＝ さんぜん
４０００＝ よんせん
５０００＝ ごせん
６０００＝ ろくせん
７０００＝ ななせん
８０００＝ はっせん
９０００＝ きゅうせん
The sen in 3000 was changed to zen, because it is supposedly easier to pronounce as is the reason for most of the changes.
NOTE:
When memorising numbers always make sure you notice the changes, especially with 3, 6 and 8. But there are sometimes changes in other numbers, so be very observant.
Anyway, it gets more complicted counting higher, but alas for I had prepared a simplified chart to make your lives much easier:
I know it looks difficult - and it is - but just try to memorise the main large numbers like ひゃく, せん and まん, then practice using random numbers, for example:
4,395 would be よんせん さんびゃく きゅうじゅう ご
So it is exactly how you would read it in English; Four Thousand + Three Hundred + Ninety + Five
I am sure you've noticed that the endings change in 10 thousand and 100 million when perhaps it would have been much easier to remember had it changed in a million and a billion instead, but this is not English, it's Japanese hehe.
Just look at it this way; 10,000 is いちまん, so everything that ends with まん is multiplied by 10,000. So whenever you add zeros after 10,000, you just count the zeros backwards, fo instance in English you would normally write a hundred thousand as:
but the way you read it in Japanese the comma would have to shift, like so:
Therefore, for larger numbers you multiply. So to say 1 Million it would be:
Now for the last part of our lesson, we learn how to say decimals:
Decimals are called ten てん, so to say 0.7, you'd say れいてんなな.
Fractions are called bun ぶん, so to say half, you'd say にぶんの いち.
I hope I have explained everything thoroughly. Sometimes nothing will make sense until you've memorised it all, so just have a little patience and don't hesitate to ask.
じゃ また！
NOTE:
When memorising numbers always make sure you notice the changes, especially with 3, 6 and 8. But there are sometimes changes in other numbers, so be very observant.
Anyway, it gets more complicted counting higher, but alas for I had prepared a simplified chart to make your lives much easier:
I know it looks difficult - and it is - but just try to memorise the main large numbers like ひゃく, せん and まん, then practice using random numbers, for example:
4,395 would be よんせん さんびゃく きゅうじゅう ご
So it is exactly how you would read it in English; Four Thousand + Three Hundred + Ninety + Five
Bank of Japan in Tokyo on 18th December 1947
I am sure you've noticed that the endings change in 10 thousand and 100 million when perhaps it would have been much easier to remember had it changed in a million and a billion instead, but this is not English, it's Japanese hehe.
Just look at it this way; 10,000 is いちまん, so everything that ends with まん is multiplied by 10,000. So whenever you add zeros after 10,000, you just count the zeros backwards, fo instance in English you would normally write a hundred thousand as:
１００,０００
but the way you read it in Japanese the comma would have to shift, like so:
１０,００００
making it Ten X Ten Thousand (じゅうまん)
Therefore, for larger numbers you multiply. So to say 1 Million it would be:
A Hundred (ひゃく) X A Thousand (まん) = A Million (ひゃくまん)
Now for the last part of our lesson, we learn how to say decimals:
I hope I have explained everything thoroughly. Sometimes nothing will make sense until you've memorised it all, so just have a little patience and don't hesitate to ask.
じゃ また！
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