N5 · 41 words

Numbers, money and counting things

Two sets of numbers, prices in yen, and the counters that Japanese puts after every number.

Japanese has two sets of numbers. The borrowed set — 一(いち), 二(に), 三(さん) — is used with almost everything, while the native set — 一(ひと)つ, 二(ふた)つ, 三(みっ)つ — stops at ten and counts things that have no counter of their own. An English speaker also has to get used to two habits: large numbers are grouped in ten-thousands, so 20,000 is 二万(にまん), "two ten-thousands"; and a number is not put directly before a noun but joined to a counter that says what kind of thing is counted — flat, long, small, a machine, an animal.

The words

Noun (6)

一人(ひとり)one person; aloneNounN5

一人(ひとり)で旅行(りょこう)するのが好(す)きです。I like travelling on my own.

二人(ふたり)two peopleNounN5

二人(ふたり)でカフェに行(い)きました。The two of us went to a café.

円(えん)yenNounN5

このりんごは一(ひと)つ百五十円(ひゃくごじゅうえん)です。These apples are a hundred and fifty yen each.

お金(かね)moneyNounN5

財布(さいふ)にお金(かね)があまりありません。There isn't much money in my wallet.

半分(はんぶん)halfNounN5

ケーキを半分(はんぶん)食(た)べました。I ate half the cake.

全部(ぜんぶ)all; everything; altogetherNounN5

全部(ぜんぶ)でいくらですか。How much is it altogether?

Numeral (23)

一(いち)oneNumeralN5

一(いち)たす一(いち)は二(に)です。One plus one is two.

二(に)twoNumeralN5

二(に)かける三(さん)は六(ろく)です。Two times three is six.

三(さん)threeNumeralN5

三(さん)月(がつ)に日本(にほん)へ行(い)きます。I'm going to Japan in March.

四(よん)fourNumeralN5

四(よ)時(じ)に会(あ)いましょう。Let's meet at four.

Also し, which survives in fixed words like 四月(しがつ); before 時(じ) and 人(にん) it is shortened to よ.

五(ご)fiveNumeralN5

五(ご)分(ふん)待(ま)ってください。Please wait five minutes.

六(ろく)sixNumeralN5

朝(あさ)六(ろく)時(じ)に起(お)きます。I get up at six in the morning.

七(なな)sevenNumeralN5

七(なな)人(にん)で食事(しょくじ)をしました。Seven of us had a meal together.

Also しち, which is the usual reading in 七時(しちじ) and 七月(しちがつ).

八(はち)eightNumeralN5

この店(みせ)は夜(よる)八(はち)時(じ)までです。This shop is open until eight in the evening.

九(きゅう)nineNumeralN5

テストは九十点(きゅうじゅってん)でした。I got ninety on the test.

Also く, as in 九時(くじ) and 九月(くがつ).

十(じゅう)tenNumeralN5

クラスに学生(がくせい)が十(じゅう)人(にん)います。There are ten students in the class.

Before some counters it becomes じゅっ: 十分(じゅっぷん).

百(ひゃく)hundredNumeralN5

このペンは百(ひゃく)円(えん)です。This pen costs a hundred yen.

Sound changes: 三百(さんびゃく), 六百(ろっぴゃく), 八百(はっぴゃく).

千(せん)thousandNumeralN5

チケットは三千(さんぜん)円(えん)でした。The ticket was three thousand yen.

Sound changes: 三千(さんぜん), 八千(はっせん).

万(まん)ten thousandNumeralN5

この自転車(じてんしゃ)は二万(にまん)円(えん)です。This bicycle costs twenty thousand yen.

Always with a number in front: ten thousand is 一万(いちまん), not 万(まん) alone.

ゼロzeroNumeralN5

今朝(けさ)はゼロ度(ど)でした。It was zero degrees this morning.

Also 零(れい), in more formal use.

一(ひと)つone (thing)NumeralN5

りんごを一(ひと)つください。One apple, please.

The native numbers count things with no counter of their own, up to ten.

二(ふた)つtwo (things)NumeralN5

箱(はこ)が二(ふた)つあります。There are two boxes.

三(みっ)つthree (things)NumeralN5

卵(たまご)を三(みっ)つ買(か)いました。I bought three eggs.

四(よっ)つfour (things)NumeralN5

いすが四(よっ)つあります。There are four chairs.

五(いつ)つfive (things)NumeralN5

このケーキを五(いつ)つに切(き)ってください。Please cut this cake into five.

六(むっ)つsix (things)NumeralN5

コップを六(むっ)つ出(だ)してください。Please put out six glasses.

七(なな)つseven (things); seven years oldNumeralN5

弟(おとうと)は七(なな)つです。My little brother is seven.

These numbers also give a child's age, up to ten.

八(やっ)つeight (things)NumeralN5

おにぎりを八(やっ)つ作(つく)りました。I made eight rice balls.

九(ここの)つnine (things)NumeralN5

子供(こども)がボールを九(ここの)つ持(も)っています。The child has nine balls.

The native ten is とお, without つ; from eleven on there are only the borrowed numbers.

Counter (11)

〜階(かい)floor; storeyCounterN5

私(わたし)の部屋(へや)は三階(さんがい)です。My room is on the third floor.

The ground floor is 一階(いっかい), so 三階(さんがい) is the second floor in British usage.

〜人(にん)counter for peopleCounterN5

家族(かぞく)は五人(ごにん)です。There are five of us in my family.

One and two people are irregular: 一人(ひとり), 二人(ふたり); four is 四人(よにん).

〜枚(まい)counter for flat thingsCounterN5

紙(かみ)を二枚(にまい)ください。Two sheets of paper, please.

Paper, tickets, stamps, plates, shirts.

〜本(ほん)counter for long, thin thingsCounterN5

鉛筆(えんぴつ)が三本(さんぼん)あります。There are three pencils.

Pens, bottles, trees, umbrellas; after some numbers ぼん or ぽん: 一本(いっぽん), 三本(さんぼん).

〜個(こ)counter for small objectsCounterN5

あめを五個(ごこ)もらいました。I was given five sweets.

Small, solid things; often interchangeable with the native numbers.

〜回(かい)times (how often)CounterN5

週(しゅう)に二回(にかい)プールに行(い)きます。I go to the pool twice a week.

〜冊(さつ)counter for booksCounterN5

本(ほん)を三冊(さんさつ)買(か)いました。I bought three books.

Books, magazines, notebooks.

〜匹(ひき)counter for small animalsCounterN5

家(いえ)に猫(ねこ)が二匹(にひき)います。We have two cats at home.

After some numbers ぴき or びき: 一匹(いっぴき), 三匹(さんびき).

〜台(だい)counter for machines and vehiclesCounterN5

うちには車(くるま)が一台(いちだい)あります。We have one car.

〜杯(はい)counter for cups and glassesCounterN5

お水(みず)を一杯(いっぱい)ください。A glass of water, please.

Counts cupfuls and glassfuls, not empty cups. Sound changes: 一杯(いっぱい), 三杯(さんばい).

〜歳(さい)years oldCounterN5

兄(あに)は二十五歳(にじゅうごさい)です。My older brother is twenty-five.

Twenty years old is irregular: 二十歳(はたち).

Suffix (1)

〜番(ばん)number (in a sequence)SuffixN5

二番(にばん)のバスに乗(の)ってください。Please take the number two bus.

This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, time, verbs — 24 lists and 964 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 41 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.