Counting in Japanese
Whenever we count during training, it's done in Japanese. Do your best to use your voice properly (loud and clear) so everyone who needs to hear you can. Be careful not to let your counting become screaming as that would be considered disrespectful. Counting in Japanese is easy, once you understand the method. You can count from 1 to 99 simply by learning 1 through 10 and how to combine them.
NOTE: For the pronunciations, each syllable (sound-group) should take the same length of time to say. For example, the number 21 Ni ju ichi is pronounced “nee-djyuu-ee-tchee “. The “nee” in ni should take just as long as the “djyuu” in jyu.The hyphen symbol (“-“) divides each syllable. Also, the syllable in bold type-face should be pronounced with slightly more emphasis.
1 through 10:
English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
One | Ichi | “ee-tchee” |
Two | Ni | “nee” |
Three | San | “sann” |
Four | Shi / Yon | “shee” / “yawnn” |
Five | Go | “go” |
Six | Roku | “roe-koo” |
Seven | Shichi / Nana | “shee-tchi” / “nna-nna” |
Eight | Hachi | “ha-tchee” |
Nine | Kyu / Ku | “kyoo” / “koo” |
Ten | Ju | “dyjoo” |
11 through 19 (notice how we are just adding to 10?):
English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
Eleven | Ju ichi | “djyoo-ee-tchee” |
Twelve | Ju ni | “djyoo-nee” |
Thirteen | Ju san | “djyoo-sann” |
Fourteen | Ju shi | “djyoo-shee” |
Fifteen | Ju go | “djyoo-go” |
Sixteen | Ju roku | “djyoo-roe-koo” |
Seventeen | Ju shichi | “djyoo-shee-tchee” |
Eighteen | Ju hachi | “djyoo-ha-tchee” |
Nineteen | Ju ku | “djyoo-koo” |
Over 20 (notice how 20 is really just 2 10's and how the alternate pronunciations for 4 and 7 are used):
English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
Twenty | Ni ju | “nee-djyoo” |
Twenty one | Ni ju ichi | “nee-djyoo-ee-tchee” |
Twenty two | Ni ju ni | “nee-djyoo-nee” |
Thirty | San ju | “sann-djyoo” |
Thirty one | San ju ichi | “sann-djyoo-ee-tchee” |
Forty | Yon ju | “yawnn-djyoo” |
Forty one | Yon ju ichi | “yawnn-djyoo-ee-tchee” |
Seventy | Nana ju | “nna-nna-djyoo” |
Seventy one | Nana ju ichi | “nna-nna-djyoo-ee-tchee” |
Ninety nine | Kyu ju kyu | “kyoo-djyoo-kyoo” |
Hundred | Hyaku / Byaku / Pyaku | “hya-ku” / “bya-ku” / ”pya-ku” |
Thousand | Sen / Zen | “senn” / “zenn” |
Ten Thousand | Man | “mann” |
Note: Three Hundred (San Byaku) is pronounced "sam-bya-koo" and Eight Hundred (Hap Pyaku) is "hap-pya-koo"