Reading and lookups
Numbers, dates and counters
A number is read as one word together with its counter and the words attached to it. Its popup opens with a number box: the pattern, each part with its reading, the whole reading and other ways to say it, what the number means, written the way your own language writes numbers and dates, and the grammar points behind it (see the word popup). Open any example below to see its box.
- Website
- Mobile app
- Browser extension
Plain numbers
Japanese reads large numbers in groups of four digits, 万 and 億 rather than thousand and million, so the box lines the digits up with the group they belong to. The values in its list add up to the whole number.
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 7 | A digit with more than one reading: なな, also しち |
| 2026 | Each digit read with its place |
| 1,234,567 | Digits grouped by commas |
| 123456789 | A long number split into 億 and 万 |
| 12345678901234567890 | Numbers far past a trillion |
Numbers in kanji
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 三百二十 | Kanji with their place words |
| 二〇二六 | Kanji written digit by digit, as in years |
| 一億二千万 | Large kanji numbers |
| 3万5千 | Digits mixed with 万 and 千 |
| 壱万 | The formal kanji of contracts and banknotes |
Decimals, fractions and negative numbers
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 3.14 | Digits after the point read one by one |
| 0.5 | Zero before the point read れい |
| 1.5億 | A decimal before 億 |
| 3分の1 | A fraction, bottom number first |
| 2/3 | A fraction written with a slash |
| −5 | A minus sign |
| マイナス3 | マイナス written out |
Rough numbers and questions
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 数日 | Several days |
| 数十人 | Several tens |
| 十数人 | Ten and a few more |
| 2、3日 | Two or three |
| 二三日 | Two or three, written in kanji |
| 何本 | How many, with the counter’s sound change |
| 何階 | How many floors |
Counters
A counter can change its first sound, and the number before it can change too. The box shows the change on the part it happens to.
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 6本 | ろく and ほん become ろっぽん |
| 3匹 | ひき becomes びき after さん |
| 1杯 | いち and はい become いっぱい |
| 10分 | じゅう and ふん become じゅっぷん |
| 1000本 | ほん becomes ぼん after せん |
| 6個 | ろく becomes ろっ |
| 3階 | かい becomes がい after さん |
| 3羽 | Two readings: さんば and さんわ |
| 1人 | A reading of its own: ひとり |
| 4人 | よ instead of よん: よにん |
| 20歳 | A reading of its own: はたち |
| 一つ | Native Japanese counting |
Dates
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 2026年11月10日 | Year, month and day as one date |
| 2026/11/10(火) | A date with slashes and the weekday |
| 2026-04-05 | A date written with hyphens |
| 11/10 | A month and day |
| 14日 | Days of the month with their own readings |
| 1日 | One day, or the first of the month |
| 21世紀 | A century |
| 90年代 | A decade |
| 30代 | An age range |
Japanese era years
An era year shows the year in the Western calendar and links to the era on Wikipedia. Every era from 大化 to 令和 is included.
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 令和8年 | An era year |
| 平成元年 | The first year of an era |
| 昭和64年 | The last year of an era |
| R8.11.10 | An era written with its letter |
| 天平勝宝2年 | An era from the eighth century |
| 西暦2026年 | A year in the Western calendar |
| 紀元前3世紀 | Before the Common Era |
Clock time and lengths of time
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 15時30分 | Hours and minutes |
| 午後3時半 | Afternoon, and half past |
| 15:30 | A time written with a colon |
| 23:59:59 | With seconds |
| 0時 | Midnight: れいじ |
| 3時間15分 | A length of time |
| 1年2ヶ月 | Years and months |
| 2週間 | Weeks |
| 3日間 | For a number of days |
| 2時間半 | And a half |
Money, measurements and percentages
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 約3万円 | An amount in yen, roughly |
| ¥1,000 | The yen sign, read after the number |
| $5 | Dollars |
| 5km | Units written in letters |
| 50kg | Weight |
| −5℃ | Temperature |
| 20㎡ | Area |
| 50% | Percentages |
| 3割5分 | Tenths and hundredths: 35% |
| 時速60km | Speed |
| 60km/h | Speed written with a slash |
| 1m70cm | Two units in one measurement |
Order, limits and amounts
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 第3回 | An ordinal with 第 |
| 3回目 | An ordinal with 目 |
| 2番目 | Second in a row |
| 1位 | A ranking |
| 3人以上 | This many or more |
| 18歳未満 | Less than |
| 3日以内 | Within |
| 30歳前後 | Around |
| 10年余り | A little over |
| 3年ぶり | For the first time in |
| 5時頃 | At about |
| 3日前 | Ago |
| 2時間後 | Later |
| 3人分 | Enough for |
| 1日おき | At intervals |
| 1人当たり | Per |
| 計3回 | In total |
| 全10巻 | In all |
| 地下1階 | A basement floor |
| 満20歳 | Full age |
Phone numbers and postal codes
Phone numbers and postal codes are read digit by digit, with の for each hyphen.
| Example | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 03-1234-5678 | A landline number |
| 090-1234-5678 | A mobile number |
| 0120-123-456 | A free-call number |
| 〒123-4567 | A postal code |
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