Japanese Numbers 1 to 100 (and Beyond)

Last verified April 2026

Japanese 11 to 99 follows a transparent build-by-place rule. 11 = jū-ichi (10+1). 20 = ni-jū (2×10). 25 = ni-jū-go (2×10+5). The only mild irregularities are sound-changes at 300, 600, 800 in the hundreds and at 3000 and 8000 in the thousands.

1 to 1011 to 2021 to 5051 to 99100200 to 10001000 to 10,000

1 to 10

#DisplayKanjiHiraganaRomajiAudio
11一いちichi
22二にni
33三さんsan
44四よん/ しyon/ shi
yon is preferred when counting; shi survives in compounds
55五ごgo
66六ろくroku
77七なな/ しちnana/ shichi
nana is preferred when counting; shichi appears in months and time
88八はちhachi
99九きゅう/ くkyū/ ku
kyū is preferred when counting; ku appears in months and time
1010十じゅうjū

11 to 20

#DisplayKanjiHiraganaRomajiAudio
1111十一じゅういちjū-ichi
1212十二じゅうにjū-ni
1313十三じゅうさんjū-san
1414十四じゅうよんjū-yon
1515十五じゅうごjū-go
1616十六じゅうろくjū-roku
1717十七じゅうななjū-nana
1818十八じゅうはちjū-hachi
1919十九じゅうきゅうjū-kyū
2020二十にじゅうni-jū

21 to 50

#DisplayKanjiHiraganaRomajiAudio
2121二十一にじゅういちni-jū-ichi
2222二十二にじゅうにni-jū-ni
2323二十三にじゅうさんni-jū-san
2424二十四にじゅうよんni-jū-yon
2525二十五にじゅうごni-jū-go
2626二十六にじゅうろくni-jū-roku
2727二十七にじゅうななni-jū-nana
2828二十八にじゅうはちni-jū-hachi
2929二十九にじゅうきゅうni-jū-kyū
3030三十さんじゅうsan-jū
3131三十一さんじゅういちsan-jū-ichi
3232三十二さんじゅうにsan-jū-ni
3333三十三さんじゅうさんsan-jū-san
3434三十四さんじゅうよんsan-jū-yon
3535三十五さんじゅうごsan-jū-go
3636三十六さんじゅうろくsan-jū-roku
3737三十七さんじゅうななsan-jū-nana
3838三十八さんじゅうはちsan-jū-hachi
3939三十九さんじゅうきゅうsan-jū-kyū
4040四十よんじゅうyon-jū
4141四十一よんじゅういちyon-jū-ichi
4242四十二よんじゅうにyon-jū-ni
4343四十三よんじゅうさんyon-jū-san
4444四十四よんじゅうよんyon-jū-yon
4545四十五よんじゅうごyon-jū-go
4646四十六よんじゅうろくyon-jū-roku
4747四十七よんじゅうななyon-jū-nana
4848四十八よんじゅうはちyon-jū-hachi
4949四十九よんじゅうきゅうyon-jū-kyū
5050五十ごじゅうgo-jū

51 to 99

#DisplayKanjiHiraganaRomajiAudio
5151五十一ごじゅういちgo-jū-ichi
5252五十二ごじゅうにgo-jū-ni
5353五十三ごじゅうさんgo-jū-san
5454五十四ごじゅうよんgo-jū-yon
5555五十五ごじゅうごgo-jū-go
5656五十六ごじゅうろくgo-jū-roku
5757五十七ごじゅうななgo-jū-nana
5858五十八ごじゅうはちgo-jū-hachi
5959五十九ごじゅうきゅうgo-jū-kyū
6060六十ろくじゅうroku-jū
6161六十一ろくじゅういちroku-jū-ichi
6262六十二ろくじゅうにroku-jū-ni
6363六十三ろくじゅうさんroku-jū-san
6464六十四ろくじゅうよんroku-jū-yon
6565六十五ろくじゅうごroku-jū-go
6666六十六ろくじゅうろくroku-jū-roku
6767六十七ろくじゅうななroku-jū-nana
6868六十八ろくじゅうはちroku-jū-hachi
6969六十九ろくじゅうきゅうroku-jū-kyū
7070七十ななじゅうnana-jū
7171七十一ななじゅういちnana-jū-ichi
7272七十二ななじゅうにnana-jū-ni
7373七十三ななじゅうさんnana-jū-san
7474七十四ななじゅうよんnana-jū-yon
7575七十五ななじゅうごnana-jū-go
7676七十六ななじゅうろくnana-jū-roku
7777七十七ななじゅうななnana-jū-nana
7878七十八ななじゅうはちnana-jū-hachi
7979七十九ななじゅうきゅうnana-jū-kyū
8080八十はちじゅうhachi-jū
8181八十一はちじゅういちhachi-jū-ichi
8282八十二はちじゅうにhachi-jū-ni
8383八十三はちじゅうさんhachi-jū-san
8484八十四はちじゅうよんhachi-jū-yon
8585八十五はちじゅうごhachi-jū-go
8686八十六はちじゅうろくhachi-jū-roku
8787八十七はちじゅうななhachi-jū-nana
8888八十八はちじゅうはちhachi-jū-hachi
8989八十九はちじゅうきゅうhachi-jū-kyū
9090九十きゅうじゅうkyū-jū
9191九十一きゅうじゅういちkyū-jū-ichi
9292九十二きゅうじゅうにkyū-jū-ni
9393九十三きゅうじゅうさんkyū-jū-san
9494九十四きゅうじゅうよんkyū-jū-yon
9595九十五きゅうじゅうごkyū-jū-go
9696九十六きゅうじゅうろくkyū-jū-roku
9797九十七きゅうじゅうななkyū-jū-nana
9898九十八きゅうじゅうはちkyū-jū-hachi
9999九十九きゅうじゅうきゅうkyū-jū-kyū

100

#DisplayKanjiHiraganaRomajiAudio
100100百ひゃくhyaku
Pattern recap: from 11 onward, build by place value. 14 = jū-yon (or jū-shi). 47 = yon-jū-nana (40 + 7). The only thing that changes is the rendaku in the hundreds and thousands.

The 100 to 1,000 series

The hundreds add 百 (hyaku) to a digit. Three hundreds are irregular: 300 (san-byaku, rendaku), 600 (rop-pyaku, gemination), 800 (hap-pyaku, gemination). The rest follow the regular pattern.

#KanjiHiraganaRomaji
100百ひゃくhyaku
200二百にひゃくni-hyaku
300三百さんびゃくsan-byaku
400四百よんひゃくyon-hyaku
500五百ごひゃくgo-hyaku
600六百ろっぴゃくrop-pyaku
700七百ななひゃくnana-hyaku
800八百はっぴゃくhap-pyaku
900九百きゅうひゃくkyū-hyaku

The 1,000 to 10,000 series

The thousands add 千 (sen). Two are irregular: 3000 (san-zen, rendaku) and 8000 (has-sen, gemination). 10,000 is its own unit, 一万 (ichi-man), and from there the system shifts; see big numbers.

#KanjiHiraganaRomaji
1000千せんsen
2000二千にせんni-sen
3000三千さんぜんsan-zen
4000四千よんせんyon-sen
5000五千ごせんgo-sen
6000六千ろくせんroku-sen
7000七千ななせんnana-sen
8000八千はっせんhas-sen
9000九千きゅうせんkyū-sen
Sound-change cheat: at 300, 600, 800: hyaku → byaku / pyaku / pyaku. At 3000, 8000: sen → zen / s-sen. These are rendaku (sequential voicing) and stem-shortening, the same processes that produce ip-pon and san-bon in counters. Source: Tofugu’s rendaku and counter explainers; see /methodology.

Frequently asked questions

How do you count to 100 in Japanese?

After 10 (jū), Japanese builds numbers transparently. 11 = jū-ichi (10+1). 20 = ni-jū (2×10). 25 = ni-jū-go (2×10+5). 99 = kyū-jū-kyū. 100 = hyaku. The pattern is fully regular until you hit 300, 600, and 800 (which trigger sound-changes), and 3000 and 8000 (more sound-changes).

Why is 300 san-byaku and not san-hyaku?

This is rendaku, sequential voicing. The /h/ in hyaku voices to /b/ after san. Similar shifts happen at 600 (rop-pyaku, gemination) and 800 (hap-pyaku). Tofugu has the cleanest explanation: voicing prevents the awkward consonant cluster.

How do I read 1000 in Japanese?

1000 is just 千 (sen), without an "ichi-" prefix. We say sen, not ichi-sen. Japanese drops the leading ichi-/one- before hyaku (100), sen (1000), and man (10,000) only when no other digit precedes it. So 1000 is sen, but 11,000 is ichi-man-sen.

What is the difference between sen and ichi-man for big numbers?

Sen is 1,000. Ichi-man is 10,000. After 9,999, Japanese does not use a higher count of sen; it switches to man. So 12,000 = ichi-man-ni-sen (one ten-thousand and two thousand), not "twelve thousand". See /big-numbers for the full system.

Are there shortcuts for the 11 to 19 numbers?

No. Each is built jū + digit: jū-ichi (11), jū-ni (12), jū-san (13), and so on. There are no separate words like English eleven and twelve. The pattern continues exactly the same way through 99.

Continue: big numbers · reading variations · practice in the quiz.