Counting in Japanese: numbers, counters and the irregular readings

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Counting in Japanese has a reputation for being hard, because the word for "three" changes depending on what you count. The good news: there are two number systems, a handful of everyday counters, and most of the trouble comes from a small set of sound changes you can learn.

Sino-Japanese numbers: ichi, ni, san

These come from Chinese and are used for most counting, maths, prices and dates.

1 ichi, 2 ni, 3 san, 4 yon or shi, 5 go
6 roku, 7 nana or shichi, 8 hachi, 9 kyū or ku, 10 jū
11 is jū-ichi, 20 is ni-jū, 100 hyaku, 1,000 sen, 10,000 man

Large numbers group in tens of thousands: 50,000 is go-man. 4, 7 and 9 have two readings. Yon, nana and kyū are the safe default; shi and ku are avoided in many contexts partly because they sound like the words for death and suffering.

Native Japanese numbers: hitotsu, futatsu

Used for counting general things from one to ten, with the counter つ built in:

hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu
muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, tō

This system is the lifesaver: if you do not know the right counter, hitotsu, futatsu and so on work for most objects. "Kore o futatsu kudasai" (two of these, please) works in any shop.

Common counters

A counter goes after the number. Watch the readings marked in bold: these are where the sound changes happen.

個 (ko), small objects: ikko, niko, sanko, yonko, goko, rokko, nanako, hakko, kyūko, jukko
人 (nin), people: hitori, futari, sannin, yonin, gonin, then regular. Note hitori and futari are native readings.
本 (hon), long thin things such as bottles, pens, umbrellas, trains: ippon, nihon, sanbon, yonhon, gohon, roppon, nanahon, happon, kyūhon, juppon
枚 (mai), flat things such as paper, tickets, shirts: ichimai, nimai, sanmai, all regular
匹 (hiki), small animals such as cats, dogs, fish: ippiki, nihiki, sanbiki, yonhiki, gohiki, roppiki, nanahiki, happiki, kyūhiki, juppiki
杯 (hai), cups and glasses of drink, bowls of rice: ippai, nihai, sanbai, yonhai, gohai, roppai, nanahai, happai, kyūhai, juppai

Notice the pattern: with counters starting with h, the numbers 1, 6, 8 and 10 tend to double into a p sound (ippon, roppon, happon, juppon), and 3 often turns h into b (sanbon). Learn 本 well and 匹 and 杯 follow the same shape.

Time

Hours use 時 (ji): ichiji, niji… with yoji (4 o'clock), shichiji (7) and kuji (9).
Minutes use 分 (fun or pun): ippun, nifun, sanpun, yonpun, gofun, roppun, nanafun, happun, kyūfun, juppun.
Half past is han: sanji han, half past three.

Dates

Months are simple: number + 月 (gatsu), with shigatsu (April), shichigatsu (July) and kugatsu (September). Days of the month are the hard part. The first ten use mostly native readings:

1st tsuitachi, 2nd futsuka, 3rd mikka, 4th yokka, 5th itsuka
6th muika, 7th nanoka, 8th yōka, 9th kokonoka, 10th tōka
After that it is number + nichi (jūichinichi, 11th), except jūyokka (14th), hatsuka (20th) and nijūyokka (24th).

How to learn them

Learn the native numbers and 人, 本 and 枚 first; they cover daily life.
Practise with real things: count the bottles in your fridge, say today's date aloud each morning.
Do not panic about mistakes. Saying "sanhon" instead of "sanbon" will still be understood.

Which counter trips you up, or what odd one have you come across? Ask or share in the comments.