8.6 Large Numbers: 101 to 10,000 and Beyond
In this module, we explore the intricacies of reading and utilising large numbers in Japanese, extending from 101 up to 10,000 and beyond, crucial for everyday communication and practical contexts.
In Module 5.3, we covered counting from 11 to 100 in Japanese. This module expands upon that foundation by delving into counting from 101 and beyond, focusing on the use of 千 (せん: sen) for thousands and 万 (まん: man) for ten thousands.
Basic counting principles
Japanese numbers follow a systematic pattern that combines units of ten (十, 百, 千, 万) with specific numerals.
100: 百 (ひゃく: hyaku)
1,000: 千 (せん: sen)
10,000: 万 (まん: man)
Numbers 101 to 999
Numbers from 101 to 999 in Japanese follow a structured pattern combining hundreds, tens and ones.
Here’s a table demonstrating the systematic approach to counting from 101 to 999 in Japanese, where numbers are formed by combining the appropriate hundreds, tens and ones units:
| Number | Japanese |
|---|---|
| 101 | 百一 (ひゃくいち: hyaku-ichi) |
| 102 | 百二 (ひゃくに: hyaku-ni) |
| 103 | 百三 (ひゃくさん: hyaku-san) |
| 104 | 百四 (ひゃくよん: hyaku-yon) |
| 105 | 百五 (ひゃくご: hyaku-go) |
| 106 | 百六 (ひゃくろく: hyaku-roku) |
| 107 | 百七 (ひゃくなな: hyaku-nana) |
| 108 | 百八 (ひゃくはち: hyaku-hachi) |
| 109 | 百九 (ひゃくきゅう: hyaku-kyuu) |
| 110 | 百十 (ひゃくじゅう: hyaku-juu) |
| 111 | 百十一 (ひゃくじゅういち: hyaku juu-ichi) |
| 112 | 百十二 (ひゃくじゅうに: hyaku juu-ni) |
| … | … |
| 120 | 百二十 (ひゃくにじゅう: hyaku ni-juu) |
| … | … |
| 200 | 二百 (にひゃく: ni-hyaku) |
| 201 | 二百一 (にひゃくいち: ni-hyaku ichi) |
| … | … |
| 234 | 二百三十四 (にひゃくさんじゅうよん: ni-hayku san-juu yon) |
| … | … |
| 300 | 三百 (さんびゃく: san-byaku) |
| … | … |
| 350 | 三百五十 (さんびゃくごじゅう: san-byaku go-juu) |
| … | … |
| 400 | 四百 (よんひゃく: yon-hyaku) |
| … | … |
| 500 | 五百 (ごひゃく: go-hayku) |
| … | … |
| 578 | 五百七十八 (ごひゃくななじゅうはち: go-hyaku nana-juu hachi) |
| … | … |
| 600 | 六百 (ろっぴゃく: roppyaku) |
| … | … |
| 700 | 七百 (ななひゃく: nana-hyaku） |
| … | … |
| 800 | 八百 (はっぴゃく: happyaku） |
| … | … |
| 900 | 九百 (きゅうひゃく: kyuu-hyaku） |
| … | … |
| 999 | 九百九十九 (きゅうひゃくきゅうじゅうきゅう: kyuu-hyaku kyuu-juu kyuu) |
It’s important to note that for 100, you do not need ‘one’ but simply use ‘hyaku’ (百).
For numbers in the hundreds starting with 300, 600 and 800, it’s important to note their irregular readings: 300 is read as びゃく (byaku), 600 as ろっぴゃく (roppyaku) and 800 as はっぴゃく (happyaku).
Numbers 1,000 to 10,000
Numbers from 1,000 upwards follow a similar pattern of combining thousands, hundreds, tens and ones:
| Number | Japanese |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | 千 (せん: sen） |
| 1,300 | 千三百 (せんさんびゃく: sen san-byaku) |
| 2,000 | 二千 (にせん: ni-sen） |
| 3,000 | 三千 (さんぜん: san-zen) |
| 3,680 | 三千六百八十 (さんぜんろっぴゃくはちじゅう: san-zen roppyaku achi-juu) |
| 4,000 | 四千 (よんせん: yon-sen) |
| 5,000 | 五千 (ごせん: go-sen) |
| 6,000 | 六千 (ろくせん: roku-sen) |
| 7,000 | 七千 (ななせん: nana-sen) |
| 8,000 | 八千 (はっせん: hassen) |
| 8,844 | 八千八百四十四 (はっせんはっぴゃくよんじゅうよん: hassen happyaku yon-juu yon) |
| 9,000 | 九千 (きゅうせん: kyuu-sen) |
| 10,000 | 一万 (いちまん: ichi-man) |
Like 100 (百: ひゃく: hyaku),, you usually do not need ‘one’ for 1,000 (千: せん: sen); you simply use ‘sen’. However, you do include ‘one’ when counting 10,000 (一万: いちまん: ichi-man) for 10,000; it is not just written or read as ‘man’.
It’s important to note that 3,000 (as well as all numbers that include 3,000) is always read as さんぜん (san-zen), not さんせん (san-sen).
Numbers beyond 10,000
When counting beyond 10,000 in Japanese, the pattern continues by adding the respective ten-thousands place and then using the pattern for numbers from 1 to 9,999.
In English, numbers are grouped by thousands (1,000):
- 1,000 = one thousand
- 10,000 = ten thousand
- 100,000 = one hundred thousand
- 1,000,000 = one million
But Japanese groups by ten thousands (万: まん):
- 1,000 = 千 (せん)
- 10,000 = 一万 (いちまん)
- 100,000 = 十万 (じゅうまん) = ‘ten ten-thousands’
- 1,000,000 = 百万 (ひゃくまん) = ‘one hundred ten-thousands’
So let’s break down 100,000 as an example:
- English way: ‘one hundred thousand’
- Japanese way: 十万 (じゅうまん) = ‘ten ten-thousands’
The counting units go:
- 一 (いち) = 1
- 十 (じゅう) = 10
- 百 (ひゃく) = 100
- 千 (せん) = 1,000
- 万 (まん) = 10,000
- 億 (おく) = 100,000,000
Some examples:
- 250,000 = 二十五万 (にじゅうごまん)
- 3,456,789 = 三百四十五万六千七百八十九 (さんびゃくよんじゅうごまんろくせんななひゃくはちじゅうきゅう)
This different grouping system often requires English speakers to ‘rewire’ their thinking about numbers when learning Japanese.
When the unit 1,000 (千: せん: sen) is in the middle of the number, you usually read ‘one’ as いっ (i-).
- 20,000: 二万 (にまん: ni-man)
- 30,000: 三万 (さんまん: san-man)
- 100,000: 十万 (じゅうまん: juu-man)
- 1,000,000: 百万 (ひゃくまん: hyaku-man)
- 10,000,000: 一千万 (いっせんまん: issen-man)
- 100,000,000: 一億 (いちおく: ichi-oku)
This pattern of combining larger units with smaller units continues for higher numbers, following the Japanese counting system.
Usage in everyday scenarios
Understanding how to read and use large numbers is crucial for navigating various everyday scenarios, including population statistics. Here are some practical examples:
- Shopping: Discussing prices, quantities, and transactions in stores.
- Finance: Handling money transactions, discussing salaries, and budgeting.
- Population: Describing the size of communities or regions, such as cities or towns.
- Dates and years: Talking about historical dates, ages, and years in contexts like education or professional settings.
Examples:
Price
朝食（ちょうしょく）は三千五百円（さんぜんごひゃくえん）です。
Choushoku wa san-zen go-hyaku en desu.
The breakfast costs 3,500 yen.
NOTE: In Module 9.6, we will learn the Japanese currency 円（えん: en for ‘yen’ and how to use it with large numbers.
Population
この町（まち）に一万人（いちまんにん）子どもがいます。
Kono machi ni ichi-man nin kodomo ga i masu.
There are 10,000 children in this town.
Year
今年（ことし）は二千二十四年（にせんにじゅうよねん）です。
Kotoshi wa ni-sen ni-juu yo nen desu.
This year is 2024.
We will continue to apply this knowledge and these skills to count large numbers in Module 9.6, where we will learn how to use them effectively for making purchases in Japan!
Exercise 1
Figures
1 “Exclamation Sign Font Awesome” by Dave Gandy. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by SA 3.0.
