JLPT N5 Vocabulary – How to count numbers in Japanese
Table of Contents
1. How to count numbers in Japanese
2. Basic number readings
3. When counting in reverse
4. Situations where “し,” “しち,” and “く” are avoided
5. Summary
6. Similar Articles
7. Comment
Q: I heard that the way numbers are counted changes when counting from 1 to 10 and from 10 to 1. Why is that?
A: When counting from 1 in order, it’s fine to use either of the two readings for 4, 7, and 9. However, when counting from 10, one of the readings is no longer used, which is thought to be due to the rhythm and sound.
Basic number readings
When counting from 1 in order, it goes as follows:
1(いち)、2(に)、3(さん)、4(し／よん)、5(ご)、6(ろく)、7(なな／しち)、8(はち)、9(きゅう／く)、10(じゅう)
4, 7, and 9 have two different readings, but either one is acceptable to use.
When counting in reverse
When counting in reverse, it goes as follows:
10(じゅう)、9(きゅう)、8(はち)、7(なな)、6(ろく)、5(ご)、4(よん)、3(さん)、2(に)、1(いち)
As you can see, the readings for 4, 7, and 9 are “よん,” “なな,” and “きゅう.”
Now, what happens if we use the other readings?
10(じゅう)、9(く)、8(はち)、7(しち)、6(ろく)、5(ご)、4(し)、3(さん)、2(に)、1(いち)
When you go from “じゅう (10)” to “く (9),” the sound suddenly becomes a single syllable. Then, moving to “はち (8)” creates an awkward rhythm.
The reason “しち (7)” is replaced with “なな” after “はち (8)” is likely to change the sound’s rhythm. The same applies to “し (4)”—since it follows “ご (5),” a single-syllable sound, “よん” is used to maintain rhythm.
You may think, “Does it really matter? Can’t we use whichever reading we prefer without worrying about rhythm?” However, even for Japanese people, counting from 10 is something they’re not very accustomed to. That’s why they naturally choose the more rhythmical and easier way to read.
Unfortunately, there’s no specific trick to memorizing how to count from 10, but it’s worth noting that the sounds “し,” “しち,” and “く” evoke negative associations—”し” with death, “しち” with a place of death, and “く” with suffering. When counting in reverse, it might be a good idea to consciously avoid these negative connotations.
Situations where “し,” “しち,” and “く” are avoided
The readings “し,” “しち,” and “く” carry unlucky meanings, so Japanese people tend to avoid these pronunciations when saying room numbers or phone numbers.
[Examples]（Phone number）
090-44XX-77XX
⇒ It’s pronounced as “ぜろ きゅう ぜろ-よん よんXX-なな ななXX.”
部屋の番号は479です。
The room number is 479.
⇒ It’s pronounced as “よん なな きゅう.”
Summary
- When counting from 1 in order, 4 (よん/し), 7 (なな/しち), and 9 (きゅう/く) can be read in two different ways.
- When counting from 10, 4 (よん), 7 (なな), and 9 (きゅう) are used. Let’s avoid using unlucky words when counting backward!
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