#The power of ten ten japanese how to#

As Japan industrialized during the late 19th century, it sought to imitate Western countries such as the United States, which had established colonies in Asia and the Pacific to secure natural resources and markets for their goods. While Japan’s deadly assault on Pearl Harbor stunned Americans, its roots stretched back more than four decades. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war. On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, decimating the US Pacific Fleet.

(Image: Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-1663.) And 21 is 2×10+1, which is 二十一 (nijuuichi)(2 (ni) + 10s (juu) + 1 (ichi)).Top Image: Propaganda poster developed by the Office of War Information following the attack on Pearl Harbor. What happens when we reach 20? Well, 20 is 2×10, so you say 二十 (nijuu) in Japanese. Then, 12 is 10+1 so it’s 十二 (juuni) in Japanese. To make the word for 11, simply combine the words for 10 and 1. All the vocabulary need is already contained in the words from 1 to 10 in Sino Japanese. The logic of putting these numbers together in Japanese is also simple. So, that makes it much easier, to begin with. Firstly in the Japanese counting system, they only use Sino Japanese numbers from 10. Sino Japanese Numbers From 10Ĭreating numbers from 10 upwards is very easy and straightforward. Still, a mora in the Japanese reading of it reminds them of the word for death, so they changed how it sounds from しち (sichi) to なな (nana). People in Japan will do all in their power to avoid these numbers. That’s because 4 ( し) and 9 ( く) sound like the Japanese words for suffering (苦) and death (死). You may have noticed that some numbers have more than one name. Superstitions are very important in Japanese culture.

#The power of ten ten japanese how to#

This makes learning how to count in Japanese much easier. From then on, you’ll only see Sino-Japanese numerals. You’ll only use native Japanese numbers up to 10.

You’ll need to learn both counting systems to become completely fluent in Japanese. But, Native-Japanese numbers only exist 1-10. The main difference between the two counting systems is that you need to use counters with Sino-Japanese, but there’s no need for them in Native Japanese. Sino-Japanese comes from Chinese origins, while Native Japanese originates from Japan. There are two different counting systems in Japan: the Sino-Japanese and the Native Japanese number systems. While you need to know how to say Japanese numbers in conversations, you’ll often see the same numbers used as you would in the rest of the world. The Different Japanese Counting Systemsīefore we dive into the secrets of the Japanese numbers and counting systems, it’s worth mentioning that Arabic numerals are more often used in Japan nowadays. You’ll surely master counting in Japanese with all kinds of numbers with the help of this guide.

Luckily, learning about the Japanese counting system is an interesting topic. Numbers are everywhere, from telling the time to counting how much sushi you’re devouring. You need to learn Japanese numbers to reach fluency.