Numbers, dates and time
Numbers up to a hundred million, the ひとつ, ふたつ series, counters such as まい, 本 and 人, prices, dates, the days of the week and the time.
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Numbers, dates and time, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Count from 1 to 9,999
Four, seven and nine each have two readings (よん or し, なな or しち, きゅう or く), and the first of each pair is the safe choice when counting. Bigger numbers are built like a sum: 二十 is two tens, 九十九 is 99 and 二千五百 is 2,500. 百 and 千 need no one in front, and a few change their sound: 三百 is さんびゃく, 六百 ろっぴゃく, 八百 はっぴゃく and 三千 さんぜん.
Count in ten-thousands with 万
Japanese groups big numbers in fours, not threes. 一万 is 10,000, 十万 is 100,000 and 百万 is a million, while 一億 is 100,000,000. So 35,000 yen is 三万五千円.
Count things with ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ
For everyday objects with no special counter, use the Japanese series: 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. It only goes up to ten, and it is how you order in a shop: りんごを 三つ ください.
Count people, flat things and long things
人 counts people, with two special forms: 一人 (ひとり) and 二人 (ふたり), then 三人 (さんにん). まい counts flat things such as paper, tickets and shirts (きっぷを 二まい), and 本 counts long, thin things such as pens and bottles (ペンを 三本, said さんぼん). The number and counter usually sit just before the verb: ペンを 三本 かいました.
Use the other counters, and their sound changes
さつ counts books, ひき small animals, だい machines and cars, かい times or floors, はい cups and glasses, 才 years of age and 円 yen. Some change their sound after 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10: いっぽん, さんぼん; いっぴき, さんびき; いっぱい, さんばい. ばん gives a place in order (一ばん, number one) and 目 turns a number into first, second and so on: 二つ目, 三かい目.
Tell the time
時 is o'clock and 分 is minutes: 三時十分. Watch 四時 (よじ), 七時 (しちじ) and 九時 (くじ), and 分, read ふん or ぷん: 一分 (いっぷん), 三分 (さんぷん), 五分 (ごふん), 十分 (じゅっぷん). Half past is はん (七時はん), and ごぜん and ごご mean a.m. and p.m.
Give the date
Dates go from big to small: year, month, then day, as in 2027年 5月 5日. A month is a number and 月, but April, July and September are said しがつ, しちがつ and くがつ. The first ten days of the month have their own words, ついたち, ふつか, みっか, よっか, いつか, むいか, なのか, ようか, ここのか and とおか, and the 20th is はつか.
Name the days of the week, and say how long
The week runs from 月曜日 through 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日, 金曜日 and 土曜日 to 日曜日. For a length of time in hours, add かん: 二時間 is two hours, but 二時 is two o'clock. Minutes and years need nothing added (三十分, 二年), and you ask how long with 何時間.
Numbers, dates and time key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Counter
- A word added to a number to show what kind of thing is counted, like まい for flat things or 人 for people.
- ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ
- The Japanese counting series for things with no special counter, up to とお (ten).
- 万
- Ten thousand. Big numbers count in ten-thousands: 十万 is 100,000.
- 一人 and 二人
- One person and two people, read ひとり and ふたり. From three it is regular: さんにん, よにん.
- 本 (counter)
- Counts long, thin things. Its sound changes with the number: いっぽん, にほん, さんぼん.
- 時 and 分
- O'clock and minutes, as in 八時二十分, twenty past eight.
- 時間
- Hours, for a length of time: 三時間 is three hours, while 三時 is three o'clock.
- ついたち
- The first day of the month, written 一日.
- ようび
- Day of the week: every day name ends in it, from 月曜日 to 日曜日.
Common mistakes in Numbers, dates and time
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Saying ten thousand as 十千.
Japanese has a word for 10,000, 万: 一万, then 十万 for 100,000 and 百万 for a million.
Reading 一人 and 二人 as いちにん and ににん.
These two are special: ひとり and ふたり. From three people it is regular: さんにん, よにん, ごにん.
Missing a sound change, as in さんひゃく for 300 or いちほん for one bottle.
Learn the changes as you learn each counter: さんびゃく, いっぽん, さんぼん, いっぴき. Saying them aloud makes them stick.
Using 時 for a length of time, as in 二時 べんきょうしました for two hours.
時 is a clock time and 時間 is how long: 二時間 べんきょうしました.
Reading the second of the month as ににち.
The 1st to the 10th, and the 20th, have their own readings: ふつか (2nd), みっか (3rd), よっか (4th), ようか (8th), はつか (20th). よっか and ようか sound close, so listen carefully.
Practice
Try a Numbers, dates and time question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
How do you write 48,000 yen in Japanese?
- 四十八千円
- 四千八百円
- 四万八千円
- 四万八百円
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 四万八千円
Japanese counts in ten-thousands: 48,000 is four 万 and eight 千, 四万八千円.
- 万 is ten thousand.
- 48,000 is four ten-thousands and eight thousands.
- 四万八千円.