Japanese numbers become much easier when you learn a small core and then build larger numbers from it. These readings are useful for everyday beginner conversations and N5 study. They are a practical starting set, not an official exhaustive JLPT list.
1 to 10
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | いち (ichi) |
| 2 | 二 | に (ni) |
| 3 | 三 | さん (san) |
| 4 | 四 | よん (yon) / し (shi) |
| 5 | 五 | ご (go) |
| 6 | 六 | ろく (roku) |
| 7 | 七 | なな (nana) / しち (shichi) |
| 8 | 八 | はち (hachi) |
| 9 | 九 | きゅう (kyuu) / く (ku) |
| 10 | 十 | じゅう (juu) |
For a safe beginner default, use よん, なな, and きゅう when counting on their own. You will still hear し, しち, and く in set words and some counters, so learn each expression as a whole.
Building numbers
Japanese puts tens before the ones: 十一 is じゅういち (11), 二十 is にじゅう (20), and 二十一 is にじゅういち (21). The same pattern continues: 三十六 is さんじゅうろく (36). The counter つ can count general small items: ひとつ (one), ふたつ (two), みっつ (three), よっつ (four), いつつ (five), むっつ (six), ななつ (seven), やっつ (eight), ここのつ (nine), and とお (ten).
People use a different counter. One person is 一人 (ひとり, hitori), two people are 二人 (ふたり, futari), and three people are 三人 (さんにん, sannin). From four people onward, 人 is usually read にん: 四人 is よにん (yonin). For ordinary flat objects, ～枚 (まい) is common; for example, 紙二枚 is かみにまい (two sheets of paper). Choose the counter for the kind of thing, rather than translating “one” directly.
Hours and months
Add 時 (じ, ji) after a number for clock hours. The important exceptions are 四時 よじ (4 o'clock), 七時 しちじ (7 o'clock), and 九時 くじ (9 o'clock). Examples: 一時 いちじ (1), 三時 さんじ (3), 八時 はちじ (8). 午前 (ごぜん) means a.m. and 午後 (ごご) means p.m.: 午前七時 is 7 a.m.; 午後四時 is 4 p.m.
Months use 月 (がつ, gatsu). January is 一月 いちがつ, April is 四月 しがつ, July is 七月 しちがつ, and September is 九月 くがつ. Notice that months keep the set readings し, しち, and く.
Dates and weekdays
The first ten days have special readings: 一日 ついたち, 二日 ふつか, 三日 みっか, 四日 よっか, 五日 いつか, 六日 むいか, 七日 なのか, 八日 ようか, 九日 ここのか, and 十日 とおか. Other useful exceptions are 十四日 じゅうよっか, 二十日 はつか, and 二十四日 にじゅうよっか. Say the year, month, then day. For example, 2026年9月14日 is read にせんにじゅうろくねん くがつ じゅうよっか.
Weekdays end in 曜日 (ようび): 月曜日 げつようび Monday, 火曜日 かようび Tuesday, 水曜日 すいようび Wednesday, 木曜日 もくようび Thursday, 金曜日 きんようび Friday, 土曜日 どようび Saturday, and 日曜日 にちようび Sunday.
Practice a date with the Japanese grammar reference, review characters in Characters, and explore the N5 mind map. For a free official beginner resource, see the Japan Foundation’s IRODORI Starter PDFs and audio materials, including Starter Lesson 9 on daily times and schedules. The JLPT N5 study plan can help you place numbers and dates in a wider routine, and pronunciation basics explains the timing behind these readings.
Helpful answers for your next step
Understand one idea, try an example, and keep going at your own pace.
How do I count from 1 to 10 in Japanese?
The basic numbers are 一 (いち, ichi), 二 (に, ni), 三 (さん, san), 四 (よん, yon), 五 (ご, go), 六 (ろく, roku), 七 (なな, nana), 八 (はち, hachi), 九 (きゅう, kyū), and 十 (じゅう, jū). 四, 七, and 九 also have alternate readings in some words, so start with よん, なな, and きゅう and learn the exceptions with the counter or word that uses them.
References: Irodori Starter materials · Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture · NHK WORLD-JAPAN Easy Japanese
What are Japanese counters, and which one should a beginner learn first?
Japanese usually places a counter after a number to show what is being counted. A useful first general counter is つ: ひとつ (one), ふたつ (two), みっつ (three), and so on up to とお (ten). Then learn counters with the nouns you use most, such as 人 for people, 枚 (まい) for flat objects, and 本 (ほん) for long cylindrical objects; the counter can change the number’s sound.
References: Japan Foundation Irodori: Starter Lesson 7 (counters)
How do I count people in Japanese?
Use 人 (にん) for people, with two important beginner exceptions: 一人 is ひとり (one person) and 二人 is ふたり (two people). From three, the regular pattern begins: 三人 is さんにん and 四人 is よにん. To ask “how many people?”, say 何人 (なんにん). Learn each form with the 人 counter rather than applying the basic number alone.
References: Japan Foundation Irodori: Starter Lesson 7 (people and rooms)
How do I say dates and months in Japanese?
Months are the number plus 月 (がつ): January is 一月 (いちがつ), April is 四月 (しがつ), July is 七月 (しちがつ), and September is 九月 (くがつ). Dates use 年, 月, and 日 in that order. Several day readings are irregular, including 一日 ついたち, 二日 ふつか, 十四日 じゅうよっか, and 二十日 はつか; for example, 2026年9月14日 is 2026年9月14日 (にせんにじゅうろくねん くがつ じゅうよっか).
References: Japan Foundation Irodori: Starter Lesson 3 (date fields) · Irodori Starter materials
How do I say the days of the week in Japanese?
Each weekday ends in 曜日 (ようび, yōbi). The common forms are 月曜日 (げつようび, Monday), 火曜日 (かようび, Tuesday), 水曜日 (すいようび, Wednesday), 木曜日 (もくようび, Thursday), 金曜日 (きんようび, Friday), 土曜日 (どようび, Saturday), and 日曜日 (にちようび, Sunday). The first kanji names the day, so learning the full word helps more than memorising ようび alone.
References: Japan Foundation Irodori: Starter Lesson 9 (weekdays)
How do I tell the time in Japanese?
Say the hour first with 時 (じ), then the minutes with 分 (ふん or ぷん). Common hour exceptions include 四時 (よじ, four o’clock), 七時 (しちじ, seven), and 九時 (くじ, nine). For example, 七時半 (しちじはん) means 7:30, and 午後三時 (ごご さんじ) means 3 p.m. Add 午前 (ごぜん) for a.m. or 午後 (ごご) for p.m. when the context is not clear.
References: Japan Foundation Irodori: Starter Lesson 9 (clock time)
Edited by the NihongoHub Team · 14 September 2026 · Sources & corrections