Japanese numbers game
Thirty-eight entries covering both ways Japanese counts. Twenty-eight run ichi, ni, san up through hyaku, and the last ten are the native series, hitotsu through tō, which is what you use when counting objects with no counter of their own.
38 words 5 games Free · no signup
Five games take this set. Warp Run is the one to play, because numbers only become useful once you can read them without pausing, and a game with a clock is the honest test of that.
The 38 words you will practise
| Japanese | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| 一 いちichi | 1 (numbers 1 to 10) | EE-chee |
| 二 にni | 2 (numbers 1 to 10) | nee |
| 三 さんsan | 3 (numbers 1 to 10) | sahn |
| 四 よんyon | 4 (numbers 1 to 10) | yohn |
| 五 ごgo | 5 (numbers 1 to 10) | goh |
| 六 ろくroku | 6 (numbers 1 to 10) | ROH-koo |
| 七 ななnana | 7 (numbers 1 to 10) | NAH-nah |
| 八 はちhachi | 8 (numbers 1 to 10) | HAH-chee |
| 九 きゅうkyū | 9 (numbers 1 to 10) | kyoo |
| 十 じゅうjū | 10 (numbers 1 to 10) | joo |
| 十一 じゅういちjūichi | 11 | joo-EE-chee |
| 十二 じゅうにjūni | 12 | JOO-nee |
| 十三 じゅうさんjūsan | 13 | joo-SAHN |
| 十四 じゅうよんjūyon | 14 | joo-YOHN |
| 十五 じゅうごjūgo | 15 | JOO-goh |
| 十六 じゅうろくjūroku | 16 | joo-ROH-koo |
| 十七 じゅうななjūnana | 17 | joo-NAH-nah |
| 十八 じゅうはちjūhachi | 18 | joo-HAH-chee |
| 十九 じゅうきゅうjūkyū | 19 | joo-KYOO |
| 二十 にじゅうnijū | 20 | nee-JOO |
| 三十 さんじゅうsanjū | 30 | sahn-JOO |
| 四十 よんじゅうyonjū | 40 | yohn-JOO |
| 五十 ごじゅうgojū | 50 | goh-JOO |
| 六十 ろくじゅうrokujū | 60 | roh-koo-JOO |
| 七十 ななじゅうnanajū | 70 | nah-nah-JOO |
| 八十 はちじゅうhachijū | 80 | hah-chee-JOO |
| 九十 きゅうじゅうkyūjū | 90 | kyoo-JOO |
| 百 ひゃくhyaku | 100 | HYAH-koo |
| 一つ ひとつhitotsu | 1 (the other system) | hee-TOHT-soo |
| 二つ ふたつfutatsu | 2 (the other system) | foo-TAHT-soo |
| 三つ みっつmittsu | 3 (the other system) | MEET-tsoo |
| 四つ よっつyottsu | 4 (the other system) | YOHT-tsoo |
| 五つ いつつitsutsu | 5 (the other system) | ee-TSOO-tsoo |
| 六つ むっつmuttsu | 6 (the other system) | MOOT-tsoo |
| 七つ ななつnanatsu | 7 (the other system) | NAH-nah-tsoo |
| 八つ やっつyattsu | 8 (the other system) | YAHT-tsoo |
| 九つ ここのつkokonotsu | 9 (the other system) | koh-KOH-noh-tsoo |
| 十 とおtō | 10 (the other system) | toh |
Want the explanations rather than the drill? Read the Japanese numbers lesson.
5 games run on this set
- Sky Rescue: 10 rounds
- Pop Quiz: 10 rounds
- Kraken Escape: 48 rounds
- Warp Run: 10 rounds
- Flooded Hold: 6 rounds
Questions
Why are there two ways to count to ten?
Japanese kept a native series alongside the one it borrowed from Chinese. Ichi, ni, san are used with counters and for reading figures. Hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu count things directly, and they stop at ten, which is why the native list in this set is only ten long.
Is four yon or shi?
Both readings exist, and this set teaches yon. Shi is avoided in a lot of everyday speech because it sounds like the word for death. Seven works the same way: nana here, though shichi is also correct and turns up in dates and times.
Why does the set stop at hyaku?
Because a hundred is where the pattern is complete. Once you have the units, the tens and hyaku, everything up to 999 is built from pieces you already have. The set drills the pieces rather than listing the combinations.
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