Japanese Numbers 1 to 10 (with Audio, Stroke Counts, and Both Readings)
Japanese has two number systems for 1 to 10. The Sino-Japanese readings (ichi, ni, san) are the default in modern usage. The native Yamato readings (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu) survive in counting general objects, naming early days of the month, and in the irregular forms hitori and futari.
Sino-Japanese: the everyday count
| # | Display | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Strokes | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 一 | いち | ichi | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | 二 | に | ni | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | 三 | さん | san | 3 | |
| 4 | 4 | 四 | よん/ し | yon/ shi yon is preferred when counting; shi survives in compounds | 5 | |
| 5 | 5 | 五 | ご | go | 4 | |
| 6 | 6 | 六 | ろく | roku | 4 | |
| 7 | 7 | 七 | なな/ しち | nana/ shichi nana is preferred when counting; shichi appears in months and time | 2 | |
| 8 | 8 | 八 | はち | hachi | 2 | |
| 9 | 9 | 九 | きゅう/ く | kyū/ ku kyū is preferred when counting; ku appears in months and time | 2 | |
| 10 | 10 | 十 | じゅう | jū | 2 |
Native (Yamato): the older system
| # | 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 |
- Sino (ichi-ni-san): phone numbers, dates after the 10th, prices, ages above 10, formal counting, school numbering, in compound words.
- Native (hitotsu-futatsu): counting general objects with the 〜つ counter (1 to 10 only), the first ten days of the month (tsuitachi, futsuka, mikka), some idiomatic expressions.
Stroke counts (kanji 1 to 10)
One trips up nearly every learner: the kanji for 4 (四) has five strokes, and 5 (五) has four. The other surprise is that 6 (六) only has four strokes, despite its rounded look. Stroke order references for handwriting practice come from KanjiVG.
| Kanji | Number | Strokes | Common error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 二 | 2 | 2 | top first, bottom second |
| 三 | 3 | 3 | top to bottom |
| 四 | 4 | 5 | not 4 strokes |
| 五 | 5 | 4 | not 5 strokes |
| 六 | 6 | 4 | - |
| 七 | 7 | 2 | - |
| 八 | 8 | 2 | - |
| 九 | 9 | 2 | - |
| 十 | 10 | 2 | horizontal first |
The dual readings of 4, 7, and 9
The pairs are shi / yon, shichi / nana, and ku / kyū. The shorter Sino readings (shi, shichi, ku) are the older borrowings from classical Chinese. They survive in fixed compound words and certain time expressions. In casual counting, when reading phone numbers aloud, in counting people (yo-nin), in stating ages (yon-sai, nana-sai, kyū-sai), the alternative readings yon, nana, kyū are preferred. The motivation is partly cultural (shi sounds like 死, death) and partly practical (shi and shichi are easy to misshear in noisy contexts). For a context-by-context lookup, see reading variations.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count 1 to 10 in Japanese?
Sino-Japanese: ichi (1), ni (2), san (3), shi or yon (4), go (5), roku (6), shichi or nana (7), hachi (8), ku or kyū (9), jū (10). The Sino set is the default in modern Japanese for telephone numbers, prices, ages over 10, and most counting contexts.
What is the difference between ichi-ni-san and hitotsu-futatsu-mittsu?
Ichi-ni-san is the Sino-Japanese (on’yomi) reading, borrowed from Chinese. Hitotsu-futatsu-mittsu is the native (Yamato, kun’yomi) reading, predating Chinese influence. The native set is used with the general counter 〜つ to count objects 1 to 10 without a specific counter, in the names of the first ten days of the month, and as the root for irregular forms hitori (1 person) and futari (2 people).
How many strokes does the kanji for four (四) have?
Five strokes, not four. The kanji 4 has five strokes and 5 (五) has four strokes, which is a frequent source of confusion. Stroke counts: 一 (1) one stroke, 二 (2) two, 三 (3) three, 四 (4) five, 五 (5) four, 六 (6) four, 七 (7) two, 八 (8) two, 九 (9) two, 十 (10) two.
When do I use yon and when do I use shi for 4?
Yon is the default in counting and most everyday contexts. Shi survives in fixed compounds: shi-gatsu (April), shi-kakkei (square), shi-ki (four seasons). For time, day-of-the-month, and counters, shi is generally avoided. See /reading-variations for the full lookup.
Next: numbers 1 to 100, native numbers, reading variations, or the quiz.