Japanese Numbers in Kanji: 一 to 兆 — Complete Reading Guide (2026)
Japanese numbers look deceptively simple at first — 一、二、三 — but the system hides real complexity. Japanese groups large numbers in units of 万 (10,000) rather than thousands, has two complete sets of number words (native Japanese and Sino-Japanese), special irregular date readings, and kanji that appear across menus, receipts, official documents, and price tags every single day. This guide covers everything from 一 (1) to 兆 (1 trillion).
Basic Number Kanji: 1 to 10
The ten basic number kanji are the foundation. Each has an on'yomi (Chinese reading) and a kun'yomi (native Japanese reading). In most counting contexts, you will use the on'yomi.
| Kanji | Number | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | 1 | いち | ひと(つ) | 一月 (いちがつ) — January |
| 二 | 2 | に | ふた(つ) | 二人 (ふたり) — two people |
| 三 | 3 | さん | みっ(つ) | 三日間 (みっかかん) — three days |
| 四 | 4 | し / よん | よっ(つ) | 四月 (しがつ) — April |
| 五 | 5 | ご | いつ(つ) | 五円 (ごえん) — 5 yen |
| 六 | 6 | ろく | むっ(つ) | 六時 (ろくじ) — 6 o'clock |
| 七 | 7 | しち / なな | なな(つ) | 七月 (しちがつ) — July |
| 八 | 8 | はち | やっ(つ) | 八百屋 (やおや) — greengrocer |
| 九 | 9 | く / きゅう | ここの(つ) | 九月 (くがつ) — September |
| 十 | 10 | じゅう | とお | 十分 (じゅっぷん) — 10 minutes |
Powers of Ten: 百、千、万、億、兆
Beyond 10, Japanese uses specific kanji for each power of ten. The crucial difference from English: Japanese has no single word for "million." Everything above 9,999 is expressed in multiples of 万 (ten thousand).
| Kanji | Reading | Value | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 百 | ひゃく | 100 | 三百円 (さんびゃくえん) — ¥300 |
| 千 | せん | 1,000 | 二千円 (にせんえん) — ¥2,000 |
| 万 | まん / ばん | 10,000 | 一万円 (いちまんえん) — ¥10,000 |
| 億 | おく | 100,000,000 | 一億円 (いちおくえん) — ¥100 million |
| 兆 | ちょう | 1,000,000,000,000 | 一兆円 (いちちょうえん) — ¥1 trillion |
The 万-Unit System: How Japanese Counts Large Numbers
This is the most important concept for English speakers. English groups digits in threes (thousands, millions, billions). Japanese groups them in fours. Every four digits gets a new unit name.
| Number | English | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | one thousand | 千 | せん |
| 10,000 | ten thousand | 一万 | いちまん |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand | 十万 | じゅうまん |
| 1,000,000 | one million | 百万 | ひゃくまん |
| 10,000,000 | ten million | 一千万 | いっせんまん |
| 100,000,000 | one hundred million | 一億 | いちおく |
| 1,000,000,000,000 | one trillion | 一兆 | いちちょう |
Worked Example: How to Say 2,340,500 in Japanese
Step-by-step breakdown:
- Write the number: 2,340,500
- Group by fours from the right: 234 | 0500
- 234 万 = 二百三十四万 (にひゃくさんじゅうしまん)
- 0500 = 五百 (ごひゃく)
- Combined: 二百三十四万五百 (にひゃくさんじゅうしまんごひゃく)
Notice there is no placeholder for the "zero thousands" — Japanese simply omits zero units. If the number were 2,340,000, you would say 二百三十四万 with nothing after it.
Ordinal Numbers
Japanese has two ways to make ordinal numbers (first, second, third). 第 (だい) is the formal prefix, while 〜番目 (ばんめ) is more conversational.
| Ordinal | Formal (第〜) | Conversational (〜番目) | Usage example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 第一 (だいいち) | 一番目 (いちばんめ) | 第一印象 (first impression) |
| 2nd | 第二 (だいに) | 二番目 (にばんめ) | 第二外国語 (second foreign language) |
| 3rd | 第三 (だいさん) | 三番目 (さんばんめ) | 三番目の子供 (third child) |
| 4th | 第四 (だいし) | 四番目 (よんばんめ) | 四番目の駅 (fourth station) |
Native Japanese vs Sino-Japanese Numbers
Japanese has two complete sets of number words. Knowing when to use each is essential for sounding natural.
| Number | Sino-Japanese (いち系) | Native Japanese (ひとつ系) | When to use native |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | いち | ひとつ | Counting generic objects: ひとつください |
| 2 | に | ふたつ | Two of something: ふたつあります |
| 3 | さん | みっつ | Ordering food: みっつお願いします |
| 4 | し / よん | よっつ | General objects without a counter |
| 5 | ご | いつつ | Up to 10 only — no native form for 11+ |
| 10 | じゅう | とお | Rarely used after childhood |
Use Sino-Japanese numbers with specific counters (本 for long things, 枚 for flat things, 回 for occurrences), for telephone numbers, prices, times, and math. Native Japanese numbers work as a standalone when no counter is specified.
Number Kanji in Real Life
- Prices: Japanese price tags use Arabic numerals but knowing kanji helps on handwritten menus — 千円 (¥1,000), 三千五百円 (¥3,500).
- Dates: 令和七年三月十六日 — year (年), month (月), day (日). The 令和 era system requires knowing the era name and number.
- Building floors: 一階 (いっかい, 1st floor), 二階 (にかい, 2nd floor), 地下一階 (ちかいっかい, basement 1).
- Train platforms: 三番線 (さんばんせん, platform 3) — essential for train navigation.
- Phone numbers: Read digit by digit using Sino-Japanese numbers. 090-1234-5678 = ゼロきゅうゼロのいちにさんしのごろくしちはち.
Special and Irregular Readings
| Written form | Irregular reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一日 | ついたち | 1st of the month | Calendar date only |
| 二十日 | はつか | 20th of the month | Calendar date only |
| 二十歳 | はたち | 20 years old | Age reference |
| 一人 | ひとり | one person | Person counter |
| 二人 | ふたり | two people | Person counter |
| 八百 | やおひゃく (→やお) | 800 / greengrocer | 八百屋 = greengrocer |
Common Mistakes with Japanese Number Kanji
- Misreading the 万 unit system: English speakers instinctively split at thousands. 一百万 does not exist — say 百万 for 1,000,000. And 一千万 (10,000,000) is ten million, not one thousand million.
- 四 (し) vs よん: Avoid し for 4 when saying phone numbers, hospital room numbers, or anything where confusion with 死 (death) matters. Most Japanese speakers default to よん for 4 and なな for 7 in daily counting.
- Counting people with native numbers: 一人 (ひとり) and 二人 (ふたり) are special — they use native Japanese forms. From 三人 onward, use Sino-Japanese + 人 (さんにん、よにん).
Use ZISTICA MOJIIQ's free grammar checker to practice writing numbers in Japanese sentences and catch errors in kanji usage or counter choice.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Japanese count in units of 万 (10,000) instead of thousands?
Japanese (like Chinese and Korean) groups large numbers in units of 万 (10,000) rather than 1,000 like English. So 10,000 is 一万, 100,000 is 十万, and 1,000,000 is 百万. There is no single word for "million" in native Japanese — it is always expressed as a multiple of 万.
What is the difference between 四 and よん, or 七 and なな?
四 has two readings: し (on'yomi) and よん (kun'yomi). よん is preferred in most modern contexts because し sounds like 死 (death). Similarly, 七 can be しち or なな — なな is preferred in phone numbers and counting to avoid confusion with いち (1).
How do I say 2,340,500 in Japanese?
Break it into 万-units: 234万 + 500 = 二百三十四万五百 (にひゃくさんじゅうしまんごひゃく). The key is to split at every 4th digit from the right and label each group with 万, 億, etc.
When do I use native Japanese numbers (ひとつ、ふたつ) vs Sino-Japanese numbers (いち、に)?
Native Japanese numbers are used for counting general objects without a specific counter, especially for 1–10. Sino-Japanese numbers are used with most counters (本、枚、回), for phone numbers, math, dates, and most formal contexts.
What does 一日 read as and why is it irregular?
一日 reads as ついたち when referring to the first day of the month. This is an archaic reading from classical Japanese. 二十日 (20th) reads はつか. These irregular date readings must be memorized separately as they do not follow the standard number reading rules.