Japanese Numbers Glossary

Last verified April 2026

Every Japanese number-related term used on this site, alphabetised by romaji. Each entry links to the page where the term is covered in depth.

Romaji	Kanji	Definition
banchi	番地	sub-block number within a chōme; second of the chōme-banchi-gō trio in addresses · see page
chō	兆	10^12 (one trillion in English); the third major Japanese unit after man and oku · see page
chōme	丁目	numbered block district within a Japanese neighbourhood · see page
daiji	大字	formal kanji used on financial documents to prevent forgery (壱, 弐, 参) · see page
en	円	yen (counter); ¥1 = ichi-en, ¥1000 = sen-en · see page
fun / pun	分	minutes counter; alternates between -fun and -pun based on the preceding digit · see page
futari	二人	two people; irregular form preserving the native futa- base · see page
futatsu	二つ	two (native counting); the second native number · see page
go	五	five (Sino); the fifth Sino-Japanese number · see page
gō	号	building number within a banchi in Japanese addresses · see page
hachi	八	eight (Sino); the eighth Sino-Japanese number
han	半	half; in time expressions means "half past the hour" · see page
hatachi	二十歳	twenty years old; totally irregular special word · see page
hatsuka	二十日	the 20th day of the month; irregular · see page
hiki	匹	counter for small to medium animals (cats, dogs, fish, insects) · see page
hitori	一人	one person; irregular form preserving the native hito- base · see page
hitotsu	一つ	one (native counting); the first native number · see page
hon	本	counter for long thin objects (pencils, bottles, trees) · see page
hyaku	百	one hundred · see page
ichi	一	one (Sino); the first Sino-Japanese number · see page
ji	時	hour, o’clock counter (yo-ji, shichi-ji, ku-ji are irregular) · see page
jikan	時間	duration counter for hours; different from ji (clock-time) · see page
jū	十	ten · see page
kai	回	counter for occurrences (once, twice, three times) · see page
kei	京	10^16; rarely used outside scientific contexts · see page
ko	個	general counter for small compact objects (apples, eggs, batteries) · see page
ku	九	nine (older Sino reading); appears in months and time
kyū	九	nine (preferred Sino reading); the everyday counting form
mai	枚	counter for flat thin objects (paper, plates, tickets) · see page
man	万	10,000; the first major Japanese big-number unit · see page
mittsu	三つ	three (native counting) · see page
nana	七	seven (preferred reading)
ni	二	two (Sino)
nichi	日	day (counter for days of the month after the 10th) · see page
nin	人	counter for people (irregular at 1: hitori, 2: futari) · see page
oku	億	100,000,000 (one hundred million) · see page
rei	零	zero (formal); also marks Reiwa (令和), the current era
Reiwa	令和	current Japanese imperial era; began 1 May 2019 · see page
rendaku	連濁	sequential voicing; the sound-change rule producing san-byaku, san-bon, san-zen
roku	六	six (Sino)
sai	歳 / 才	age counter; irregular at 1, 8, 10, 20 · see page
san	三	three (Sino)
sen	千	one thousand · see page
shi	四	four (older Sino reading); appears in compounds and months
shichi	七	seven (older Sino reading); appears in months and time
tō	頭	counter for large animals (cattle, horses, elephants) · see page
tō (10)	十	ten in the native counting system; drops the tsu suffix · see page
tsu	〜つ	general native counter for objects 1 to 10 · see page
tsuitachi	一日	first day of the month; totally irregular · see page
wa	羽	counter for birds (and traditionally rabbits) · see page
yokka	四日	fourth day of the month; native form · see page
yon	四	four (preferred reading); the everyday counting form