Japanese Numbers 1–10 in Kanji: Readings, Strokes & Counting

No other ten kanji give you as much return as the numbers. They appear in dates, prices, ages, addresses, and hundreds of compound words. Learn these first.

The full table

Why 4, 7, and 9 have two readings

Four (四) can be shi or yon, seven (七) can be shichi or nana, and nine (九) can be ku or kyū. Because shi sounds like 死 (death) and ku like 苦 (suffering), Japanese often prefers yon and kyū in everyday counting to avoid the unlucky overtone.

Counting things vs reading numbers

The kun'yomi column (hitotsu, futatsu…) is the “general counter” used for counting objects up to ten: 一つ, 二つ, 三つ. The on'yomi (ichi, ni, san…) is what you use for the abstract numbers, dates, and most counters. Master both rows and you can count almost anything.

Build to 100 and beyond

• 11 = 十一 (jū-ichi) — literally “ten one.”
• 20 = 二十 (ni-jū) — “two ten.”
• 100 = 百 (hyaku), 1,000 = 千 (sen), 10,000 = 万 (man).
• So 25 is 二十五 (ni-jū-go) — completely regular once you know 1–10.