Counting in Japanese
How to count in Japanese, step by step: say 1 to 10 aloud, extend the same pattern to 100, count objects with the native ~tsu set and counters, and use the two-way Japanese finger-counting convention.
Counting in Japanese starts with the everyday Sino-Japanese set: 一 ichi (1), 二 ni (2), 三 san (3), 四 yon (4), 五 go (5), 六 roku (6), 七 nana (7), 八 hachi (8), 九 kyū (9), 十 jū (10). After ten the pattern is transparent — 11 is jū-ichi (10+1), 20 is ni-jū (2×10) — so you can build every number to 99 from the first ten words. To count objects, use the native ~つ (tsu) set or a counter word.
Step 1: count 1 to 10 aloud
This is the Sino-Japanese (on’yomi) set, the default for counting sequences, prices, and maths. Tap any row to hear it. When you count aloud, prefer yon (4), nana (7), and kyū (9) — the alternate readings shi, shichi, and ku are avoided in a count for clarity.
| # | Display | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 一 | いち | ichi | |
| 2 | 2 | 二 | に | ni | |
| 3 | 3 | 三 | さん | san | |
| 4 | 4 | 四 | よん/ し | yon/ shi yon is preferred when counting; shi survives in compounds | |
| 5 | 5 | 五 | ご | go | |
| 6 | 6 | 六 | ろく | roku | |
| 7 | 7 | 七 | なな/ しち | nana/ shichi nana is preferred when counting; shichi appears in months and time | |
| 8 | 8 | 八 | はち | hachi | |
| 9 | 9 | 九 | きゅう/ く | kyū/ ku kyū is preferred when counting; ku appears in months and time | |
| 10 | 10 | 十 | じゅう | jū |
Want the digits one at a time, with stroke counts and native readings? See numbers 1 to 10.
Step 2: keep counting to 100
Japanese does not have separate words like “eleven” or “twelve”. From 11 on you build every number by place value:
- 11 = jū-ichi (10 + 1), 12 = jū-ni, … 19 = jū-kyū
- 20 = ni-jū (2 × 10), 21 = ni-jū-ichi, 35 = san-jū-go
- 99 = kyū-jū-kyū (9×10 + 9), 100 = 百 hyaku
The rule stays regular all the way to 99. The only wrinkles are sound-changes higher up — 300 is san-byaku (not san-hyaku), 600 rop-pyaku, 800 hap-pyaku. The full table with every reading is on numbers 1 to 100, and beyond 10,000 the system regroups — see big numbers.
Step 3: counting objects (the ~つ set)
Counting a sequence uses ichi-ni-san. Counting things is different: Japanese attaches a counter word to the number, and the counter changes with the category. For a rough count of general objects 1 to 10, the native ~つ (tsu) set is the safe fallback — it needs no separate counter and works when you are not sure which one to use.
| # | Display | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 一つ | ひとつ | hitotsu native form; root of hitori (1 person) | |
| 2 | 2 | 二つ | ふたつ | futatsu native form; root of futari (2 people) | |
| 3 | 3 | 三つ | みっつ | mittsu | |
| 4 | 4 | 四つ | よっつ | yottsu | |
| 5 | 5 | 五つ | いつつ | itsutsu | |
| 6 | 6 | 六つ | むっつ | muttsu | |
| 7 | 7 | 七つ | ななつ | nanatsu | |
| 8 | 8 | 八つ | やっつ | yattsu | |
| 9 | 9 | 九つ | ここのつ | kokonotsu | |
| 10 | 10 | 十 | とお | tō drops the tsu suffix; irregular |
For specific categories you switch to a dedicated counter: 人 nin for people, 本 hon for long thin things, 枚 mai for flat things, 匹 hiki for small animals. The counters hub covers the twelve you actually need, and native numbers explains where the ~つ system survives.
Counting on your fingers in Japan
Japanese finger counting runs the opposite way to the common Western habit of raising fingers from a fist, and it has two conventions depending on whether you are counting for yourself or showing a number to someone else.
Counting to yourself
Start with an open palm. Fold fingers in, beginning with the thumb (1), then the index finger (2), and so on, so a closed fist is 5. To reach 6 to 10 you reverse the motion, unfolding from the little finger until the hand is open again at 10.
Showing a number to others
Here the index finger is 1 and the thumb is 5. For 6 to 10 you press the right number of fingers from the other hand against an open palm — so 7 is a full open hand plus two fingers laid on the palm. Ten is both hands held up, palms out.
Convention varies by person and region; this is the most widely described pattern. Source: Wikipedia, “Finger-counting” (Japan section). See methodology for how cultural conventions are sourced.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count in Japanese?
Count aloud with the everyday Sino-Japanese set: ichi (1), ni (2), san (3), yon (4), go (5), roku (6), nana (7), hachi (8), kyū (9), jū (10). After 10 the pattern is transparent: 11 is jū-ichi (10+1), 20 is ni-jū (2×10), 21 is ni-jū-ichi, up to 99 (kyū-jū-kyū). This Sino set is the default for counting sequences, prices, phone numbers, and maths.
When counting, is 4 shi or yon?
When counting aloud, use yon (4), nana (7), and kyū (9). The alternate readings shi, shichi, and ku are avoided in a count because shi sounds like 死 (death) and the whole set is harder to hear clearly. shi, shichi, and ku still appear in fixed compounds, month names, and telling time. See /reading-variations for the context-by-context lookup.
How do you count objects in Japanese?
For a rough count of general objects 1 to 10, use the native ~つ (tsu) set: hitotsu (1), futatsu (2), mittsu (3), up to tō (10). It needs no counter word and is the safe fallback when you are unsure. For specific categories, Japanese uses counters: 人 nin for people, 本 hon for long thin things, 枚 mai for flat things, 匹 hiki for small animals. See /counters for the twelve you actually need.
How do Japanese people count on their fingers?
Two conventions, depending on the audience. Counting to yourself: start with an open palm, fold fingers in beginning with the thumb, so a closed fist is 5; unfold again from the little finger for 6 to 10. Showing a number to someone else: the index finger is 1 and the thumb is 5, and for 6 to 10 you press the right number of fingers from the other hand against an open palm. This differs from the common Western habit of holding fingers up from a fist.
What is the difference between counting and reading a number in Japanese?
Counting is saying the sequence aloud (ichi, ni, san…) or tallying objects. Reading a number is pronouncing a specific figure such as a year, price, or phone number, where sound-changes and reading choices matter more (2026 is ni-sen-ni-jū-roku; 300 is san-byaku, not san-hyaku). This page covers counting; for reading larger figures see /numbers-1-to-100 and /big-numbers.
Continue: 1 to 100 · counters · reading variations.