Chapter: 3 Lesson: 0 - How to count in Japanese: Numbers 10 to 99

No overview was provided for this lesson.

In the previous lesson we have learned how to count from zero to nine and their superstitions. Today we will learn how to count from ten to ninety-nine. If you haven’t read the previous lesson then I would recommend that you do so by Clicking Here. You will find it very useful even if it’s just to learn the various supersitions or difference between onyomi(音読み) and kunyomi(訓読み).

You may prefer to use our JPLearn! Course lesson on counting in Japanese as it features up-to-date revisions and improvements as well as interactive flash cards. It's free to use and you may go to it here. This lesson was created before it.
Counting from 10 to 19 isn’t entirely difficult. In fact all you really need to do is memorize the number 10 and then add any number from 1-9 after it.

Counter	EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	JAPANESE
10	Ten	Jyuu	十
11	Ten+One	Jyuu-ichi	十一
12	Ten+Two	Jyuu-ni	十二
13	Ten+Three	Jyuu-san	十三
14	Ten+Four	Jyuu-yon	十四
15	Ten+Five	Jyuu-go	十五
16	Ten+Six	Jyuu-roku	十六
17	Ten+Seven	Jyuu-nana	十七
18	Ten+Eight	Jyuu-hachi	十八
19	Ten+Nine	Jyuu-kyuu	十九

Incidentally, Jyuu-San has a superstition much like in western culture whereas it is considered unlucky and as a result this number may not appear in elevators, apartment numbers, airline seats and so on.

Sometimes, the number 14 is revered as unlucky as well as it contains the number 4 which when pronounced as shi can also mean death. Many refuse to use shi while counting but replace it with yon.Given the title, this may seem like a big jump but counting from 20 to 99 is not as difficult as it may seem.

In fact, you have learned how to count up to nineteen by adding a number next to ten. To count up to ninety-nine, it is exactly the same thing except preceding the number ten. In other words, the order of numbers is Two-Ten for twenty and likewise, Two+Ten+One is twenty-one.

Counter	EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	JAPANESE
20	Two+Ten	Ni-Jyuu	二十
21	Two+Ten+One	Ni-Jyuu-ichi	二十一
22	Two+Ten+Two	Ni-Jyuu-ni	二十二
23	Two+Ten+Three	Ni-Jyuu-san	二十三
24	Two+Ten+Four	Ni-Jyuu-yon	二十四
25	Two+Ten+Five	Ni-Jyuu-go	二十五
26	Two+Ten+Six	Ni-Jyuu-roku	二十六
27	Two+Ten+Seven	Ni-Jyuu-nana	二十七
28	Two+Ten+Eight	Ni-Jyuu-hachi	二十八
29	Two+Ten+Nine	Ni-Jyuu-kyuu	二十九

Finally we reach San Jyuu, otherwise known as thirty. The number 43 is an interesting number because in Japan, it is widely avoided even today in maternity wards because it literally translates to "still birth".There really isn't much more to this lesson but here's a chart that should be beneficial to you to use as reference.

Counter	EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	JAPANESE
10	Ten	Jyuu	十
11	Ten+One	Jyuu-ichi	十一
12	Ten+Two	Jyuu-ni	十二
13	Ten+Three	Jyuu-san	十三
14	Ten+Four	Jyuu-yon	十四
15	Ten+Five	Jyuu-go	十五
16	Ten+Six	Jyuu-roku	十六
17	Ten+Seven	Jyuu-nana	十七
18	Ten+Eight	Jyuu-hachi	十八
19	Ten+Nine	Jyuu-kyuu	十九
20	Two+Ten	Ni-Jyuu	二十
21	Two+Ten+One	Ni-Jyuu-ichi	二十一
22	Two+Ten+Two	Ni-Jyuu-ni	二十二
23	Two+Ten+Three	Ni-Jyuu-san	二十三
24	Two+Ten+Four	Ni-Jyuu-yon	二十四
25	Two+Ten+Five	Ni-Jyuu-go	二十五
26	Two+Ten+Six	Ni-Jyuu-roku	二十六
27	Two+Ten+Seven	Ni-Jyuu-nana	二十七
28	Two+Ten+Eight	Ni-Jyuu-hachi	二十八
29	Two+Ten+Nine	Ni-Jyuu-kyuu	二十九
30	Three+Ten	San-Jyuu	三十
40	Four+Ten	yon-Jyuu	四十
50	Five+Ten	Go-Jyuu	五十
60	Six+Ten	Roku-Jyuu	六十
70	Seven+Ten	nana-Jyuu	七十
80	Eight+Ten	Hachi-Jyuu	八十
90	Nine+Ten	Kyuu-Jyuu	九十
99	Nine+Ten+Nine	Kyuu-Jyuu-Kyuu	九十九

Our number generator can be found in the JPLearn! Course lessons.
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