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.
To gain free access to this course:
Click
Here
To gain free access to the updated version of this lesson found on
JPLearn! with the Number Generator,
Click Here.