2.8. Japanese alphabet: Hiragana: Numbers and counting

Japanese is a rich and intriguing language with three distinct writing systems: Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana. In this chapter, we will focus on the Hiragana system, specifically counting and numbers. Understanding numbers in Japanese is a crucial step towards mastering the language, as they are used in many everyday contexts, such as counting objects, telling the time, giving the date, among others.

Hiragana

Hiragana is one of the three writing systems used in the Japanese language and is the most basic. It consists of 46 characters representing phonetic syllables. Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and words for which kanji do not exist. Japanese children begin learning to write using Hiragana before moving on to the other two writing systems.

Numbers in Japanese

Numbers in Japanese are based on a decimal system, similar to English. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Japanese:

• 1 - 一 (いち - ichi)
• 2 - 二 (に - ni)
• 3 - 三 (さん - san)
• 4 - 四 (し/よん - shi/yon)
• 5 - 五 (ご - go)
• 6 - 六 (ろく - roku)
• 7 - 七 (しち/なな - shichi/nana)
• 8 - 八 (はち - hachi)
• 9 - 九 (きゅう - kyu)
• 10 - 十 (じゅう - ju)

To form numbers greater than ten, combine the base numbers. For example, eleven would be 'ju-ichi' (10 + 1), twenty would be 'ni-ju' (2 x 10), and so on.

Count in Japanese

Counting in Japanese can be a little tricky because there are different words for counting different types of objects. This is known as 'counters' and is a unique aspect of the Japanese language. For example, to count small and round things, the 'ko' counter is used, to count long and thin things, the 'hon' counter is used, and so on.

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Also, numbers can change their pronunciation depending on the counter being used. For example, the number one 'ichi' can become 'ikko' when used with the counter 'ko'.

Despite these complexities, counting in Japanese is a fundamental aspect of the language that you need to master. With practice and patience, you'll be able to count and use numbers in Japanese with ease.

We hope this chapter has given you a clear overview of numbers and counting in Japanese. Remember, the key to learning any language is constant practice. Keep practicing and you'll soon be counting in Japanese like a native!

Exercises

To help reinforce what you've learned in this chapter, we suggest some practice exercises. Try writing the numbers from 1 to 100 in Japanese and practice counting different types of objects using the appropriate counters. This will help solidify your knowledge and increase your fluency in Japanese.