How to Say Numbers 1–10 in Japanese and Count Everyday Objects
Learn Japanese numbers one through ten, their readings, and how to count fingers, books, and other common items using basic counters.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Japanese numbers from one to ten are the foundation for shopping, telling time, and counting everyday things. In this lesson you will learn the basic readings for 1–10, then use them with the general counter つ (tsu) to count objects such as apples, bags, and fingers. You will also meet 人 (nin) for counting people, because it is extremely common and easy at this stage. Keep the focus on these ten numbers and simple counting; larger numbers and many specialized counters come later.
By the end, you can…
- say and recognize the Japanese numbers 1 through 10.
- count common objects using the general counter つ (tsu).
- ask and answer how many items or people there are in simple Japanese.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
いち、に、さん、し、ご、ろく、しち、はち、きゅう、じゅう
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyuu, juu
The basic counting sequence. In many situations 4 is read よん (yon) and 7 is read なな (nana) to avoid confusion with し (shi, death) and しち (shichi).
ひとつ、ふたつ、みっつ、よっつ、いつつ、むっつ、ななつ、やっつ、ここのつ、とお
one thing, two things, three things, four things, five things, six things, seven things, eight things, nine things, ten things
hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu, muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, too
The general counter for counting physical objects up to ten. Use it when you do not know a more specific counter. Note that とお (too) is often pronounced with a long vowel.
りんごをみっつください。
Three apples, please.
Ringo o mittsu kudasai.
A polite way to ask for a specific number of items in a shop or at a counter.
なんこありますか。
How many pieces are there?
Nan ko arimasu ka.
A common question using the counter 個 (ko) for small round or solid objects. For people, ask なんにんいますか (nan-nin imasu ka).
さんにんです。
There are three people.
San-nin desu.
Counts people with 人 (nin). Note that 1 person is ひとり (hitori) and 2 people is ふたり (futari), not いちにん or ににん.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To count objects, put a number plus a counter after the noun and particle を: りんごを みっつ ください (Ringo o mittsu kudasai, “Three apples, please”). For existence, use が with あります for things and います for people: りんごが みっつ あります (Ringo ga mittsu arimasu, “There are three apples”); がくせいが さんにん います (Gakusei ga san-nin imasu, “There are three students”). The general counter つ works for many objects from one to ten, but it does not combine with 人 for people.
When to use it
Use つ when you are counting everyday physical items and no special counter is required: ペンを ふたつ (pen o futatsu, “two pens”), かばんを よっつ (kaban o yottsu, “four bags”). Use 人 for people: ともだちが ふたり います (Tomodachi ga futari imasu, “I have two friends”). At a shop, ～を みっつ ください is polite and clear. For prices or phone numbers, Japanese uses the basic readings いち, に, さん, but that is a separate skill; here, stay with counting things and people.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、りんごは いくつ ありますか。
Excuse me, how many apples are there?Sumimasen, ringo wa ikutsu arimasu ka.ろくつ あります。
There are six.Muttsu arimasu.じゃあ、りんごを みっつ ください。
Then please give me three apples.Jaa, ringo o mittsu kudasai.はい、みっつですね。さんびゃくえんです。
Yes, three, right? That will be 300 yen.Hai, mittsu desu ne. Sanbyaku en desu.A little context goes a long way
Japanese often prefers よん (yon) for 4 and なな (nana) for 7 in everyday speech because し (shi) can sound like 死 (shi, death) and しち (shichi) can be unclear. You will still hear し and しち in fixed expressions such as しがつ (shigatsu, April) and しちがつ (shichigatsu, July). Using よん and なな for counting objects is natural and safe for beginners.
One thing to watch for
Using いちにん for one person and ににん for two people.
Try this instead: Use the irregular readings ひとり (hitori) for one person and ふたり (futari) for two people: がくせいが ふたり います (Gakusei ga futari imasu, “There are two students”). From three people onward, the pattern is regular: さんにん (san-nin), よにん (yo-nin), ごにん (go-nin).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say “four apples, please” using the general counter?
Show a sample answer
りんごを よっつ ください。 (Ringo o yottsu kudasai.)
よっつ is the general counter form for four objects, and ください makes the request polite. りんごを よんこ ください is also possible if you use the counter 個, but よっつ is the beginner-friendly general form.
2What is the Japanese for “There are seven people”?
Show a sample answer
ななにん います。 (Nana-nin imasu.) or しちにん います。 (Shichi-nin imasu.)
Both ななにん and しちにん are understood, but ななにん is clearer in speech. The verb います is used because people are animate.
3Ask a shop staff member how many items there are, using いくつ.
Show a sample answer
いくつ ありますか。 (Ikutsu arimasu ka.)
いくつ asks “how many” for objects counted with つ, and ありますか asks whether they exist. For people, you would ask なんにん いますか (nan-nin imasu ka).
Learn 1–10 first, then attach つ to count everyday objects and 人 to count people. Remember ひとり and ふたり are irregular, and prefer よん and なな in daily counting.
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