Japanese Terminology

Terms | Kanji | Drills | Kobudo | Counting

Counting

Many of the Kanji may be clicked to hear the number pronounced.

Two ways to count in Japanese - the Ichi, Ni, San, Shi......that we all know which was the system borrowed from the Chinese. And the other which is the original Japanese counting system:

Current System
#	Kanji	Japanese	English
1		Ichi	One
2		Ni	Two
3		San	Three
4		Shi	Four
5		Go	Five
6		Roku	Six
7		Shichi	Seven
8		Hachi	Eight
9		Ku	Nine
10		Ju	Ten
11		Juichi	Eleven
14		Jushi	Fourteen
15		Jugo	Fifteen
20		Niju	Twenty

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Original System
#	Kanji	Japanese	English
1		Hitotsu	One
2		Futatsu	Two
3		Mittsu	Three
4		Yottsu	Four
5		Itsutsu	Five
6		Muttsu	Six
7		Nanatsu	Seven
8		Yattsu	Eight
9		Kokonotsu	Nine
10		Tou	Ten

This particular method of counting is utilized when talking about:

The first 10 days of the month:   (again with some exceptions)

Tsuitachi - 1st
Futsuka - 2nd
Mikka - 3rd
Yokka - 4th
Itsuka - 5th
Muika - 6th
Nanoka - 7th
Yakka - 8th
Kokonoka - 9th
Touka - 10th

Counting certain objects by the piece.  There are too many variables to cover them all here.

Some interesting ones are:  
Mitsubishi (yes, like the car) = Mitsu (Three) + Hishi (Diamond shape) - their symbol happens to be 3 diamonds

Sushi Rolls - Hitomaki (one roll), Futamaki (two rolls), Mimaki (three rolls)

Counting 1 or 2 people:  Hitori (one person alone), Futari (2 people)

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