7. Basic vocabulary: Numbers and counting

Chapter 7: Basic Vocabulary: Numbers and Counting

In this chapter, we'll cover an essential aspect of learning any language: numbers and counting. In Japanese this is a particularly interesting topic as there are multiple ways to count depending on what is being counted. But before we get into that, let's start with the basics: the numbers one through ten.

The numbers from one to ten in Japanese are: one (一, いち, ichi), two (二, に, ni), three (三, さん, san), four (四, し, shi or よん, yon), five (五, ご, go), six (六, ろく, roku), seven (七, しち, shichi or なな, nana), eight (八, はち, hachi), nine (九, きゅう, kyuu or く, ku) and ten (十, じゅう, juu).

To form numbers greater than ten, combine the numbers one through ten. For example, eleven is formed by combining ten (十, じゅう, juu) and one (一, いち, ichi), resulting in 十一 (じゅういち, juuichi). Twenty is formed by combining two (二, に, ni) and ten (十, じゅう, juu), resulting in 二十 (にじゅう, nijuu). This pattern continues up to 99.

The numbers from 100 to 900 follow a similar pattern. One hundred is 百 (ひゃく, hyaku), two hundred is 二百 (にひゃく, nihyaku), and so on. One thousand is 千 (せん, sen), and the numbers 2000 to 9000 are formed similarly to the numbers 200 to 900. Ten thousand is 一万 (いちまん, ichiman), and larger numbers are formed similarly.

Now, let's talk about counting in Japanese. As mentioned earlier, counting in Japanese can vary depending on what is being counted. This is because Japanese uses counters, which are suffixes that are added to numbers to indicate the type of thing being counted.

For example, to count things in general, use the counter -つ (-tsu). Thus, one (一, いち, ichi) becomes ひとつ (hitotsu), two (二, に, ni) becomes ふたつ (futatsu), and so on up to ten (十, じゅう, juu), which makes -se とお (too).

To count people, use the -人 (-nin) counter. Thus, one person (一人, ひとり, hitori), two people (二人, ふたり, futari), and so on.

To count long, thin objects, such as pencils or bottles, use the counter -本 (-hon). Thus, one pencil (一本, いっぽん, ippon), two pencils (二本, にほん, nihon), and so on.

These are just a few examples of the many counters that exist in Japanese. Learning to use them correctly is an important part of mastering basic Japanese vocabulary.

We hope that this chapter has provided a solid foundation for your knowledge of numbers and counting in Japanese. Remember, practice is the key to mastery, so keep practicing and you'll see progress in no time.

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49Basic vocabulary: Days of the week and months

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