Learning numbers and counting in Japanese is simplified because the Japanese number system is quite logical. The entire number system is based on counting the number of tens and then adding the ones. For example, 11 is jū-ichi, which is 10 (jū) plus 1 (ichi). 21 is ni-jū-ichi, which is 2 (ni) times 10 (jū) plus 1 (ichi).
When you're counting numbers in order, you'll use this pronunciation.
ichi | 1 |
ni | 2 |
san | 3 |
shi or yon | 4 |
go | 5 |
roku | 6 |
shichi or nana | 7 |
hachi | 8 |
kyû | 9 |
jû | 10 |
jûichi | 11 |
jûni | 12 |
jûsan | 13 |
jûshi or jûyon | 14 |
jûgo | 15 |
jûroku | 16 |
jûshichi or jûnana | 17 |
jûhachi | 18 |
jûkyû or jûku | 19 |
nijû | 20 |
nijûichi | 21 |
nijûni | 22 |
nijûsan | 23 |
sanjû | 30 |
sanjûichi | 31 |
sanjûni | 32 |
yonjû | 40 |
gojû | 50 |
rokujû | 60 |
nanajû | 70 |
hachijû | 80 |
kyûjû | 90 |
kyûjûkyû | 99 |
Counting larger numbers is just a question of adding the number of hundreds, thousands, and so on, in front of the same patterns as for numbers 1-99. For example, the number 150 is pronounced as hyakugoju, which is 1 hyaku plus 50 (gojū).
100 | hyaku |
101 | hyakuichi |
102 | hyakuni |
150 | hyakugoju |
500 | gohyaku |
999 | kyû-hyaku-kyû-jû-kyû |
1,000 | sen |
When the numbers are followed by a suffix, such as ji (o'clock) and mai (sheets of), the numbers might be read differently.