The Secret to Remembering Japanese Kanji Numbers from 1 to 10

The Secret to Remembering Japanese Kanji Numbers from 1 to 10

By Minna No Kyoushi | May 02, 2025

Introduction

If you're just starting to learn Japanese, one of the first and most important sets of kanji to master is the numbers from 1 to 10. These simple yet essential characters appear everywhere — from prices and dates to time and counting objects.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

  1. The kanji for numbers 1 to 10
  2. On’yomi (Chinese reading) and Kun’yomi (Japanese reading)
  3. English meanings
  4. Real-life example words using each number

Japanese Number Kanji 1 to 10

1. 一 (いち, ichi) – One

  1. Meaning: 1
  2. On’yomi: イチ (ichi)
  3. Kun’yomi: ひと・つ (hito-tsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 一人 (ひとり, hitori) – one person
  6. 一日 (いちにち, ichinichi) – one day

2. 二 (に, ni) – Two

  1. Meaning: 2
  2. On’yomi: ニ (ni)
  3. Kun’yomi: ふた・つ (futa-tsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 二人 (ふたり, futari) – two people
  6. 二月 (にがつ, nigatsu) – February

3. 三 (さん, san) – Three

  1. Meaning: 3
  2. On’yomi: サン (san)
  3. Kun’yomi: みっ・つ (mittsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 三日 (みっか, mikka) – third day
  6. 三角 (さんかく, sankaku) – triangle

4. 四 (し / よん, shi / yon) – Four

  1. Meaning: 4
  2. On’yomi: シ (shi)
  3. Kun’yomi: よっ・つ、よん、よ (yottsu, yon, yo)
  4. Examples:
  5. 四人 (よにん, yonin) – four people
  6. 四月 (しがつ, shigatsu) – April

5. 五 (ご, go) – Five

  1. Meaning: 5
  2. On’yomi: ゴ (go)
  3. Kun’yomi: いつ・つ (itsutsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 五時 (ごじ, goji) – 5 o'clock
  6. 五円 (ごえん, goen) – 5 yen

6. 六 (ろく, roku) – Six

  1. Meaning: 6
  2. On’yomi: ロク (roku)
  3. Kun’yomi: むっ・つ (muttsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 六時 (ろくじ, rokuji) – 6 o'clock
  6. 六本 (ろっぽん, roppon) – six long objects

7. 七 (しち / なな, shichi / nana) – Seven

  1. Meaning: 7
  2. On’yomi: シチ (shichi)
  3. Kun’yomi: なな・つ (nanatsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 七月 (しちがつ, shichigatsu) – July
  6. 七人 (ななにん, nananin) – seven people

8. 八 (はち, hachi) – Eight

  1. Meaning: 8
  2. On’yomi: ハチ (hachi)
  3. Kun’yomi: やっ・つ (yattsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 八百 (はっぴゃく, happyaku) – 800
  6. 八時 (はちじ, hachiji) – 8 o'clock

9. 九 (きゅう / く, kyuu / ku) – Nine

  1. Meaning: 9
  2. On’yomi: キュウ、ク (kyuu, ku)
  3. Kun’yomi: ここの・つ (kokonotsu)
  4. Examples:
  5. 九月 (くがつ, kugatsu) – September
  6. 九人 (きゅうにん, kyuunin) – nine people

10. 十 (じゅう, juu) – Ten

  1. Meaning: 10
  2. On’yomi: ジュウ (juu)
  3. Kun’yomi: とお (too)
  4. Examples:
  5. 十日 (とおか, tooka) – tenth day
  6. 十分 (じゅっぷん, juppun) – ten minutes

💬 Final Thoughts

Learning these number kanji is a powerful foundation for expanding your Japanese skills. They're easy to write, frequently used, and essential for dates, counting, time, and money.

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