Two Number Systems in Japanese and Their Asian Roots

How Japanese counts numbers and what Asia shares

Japanese uses two counting systems side by side: the native 「ひとつ・ふたつ・みっつ…」 and the Sino‑Japanese 「いち・に・さん…」. It is uncommon worldwide for both to remain strong in one language. Japanese respects older words while adopting useful outside systems.

Note

Beginner focus (CEFR A2). Simple sentences and clear notes. Japanese text appears only inside 「」 or（） with translations in parentheses.

Native set: 「和語（わご, Wago）」 up to ten

「ひとつ」「ふたつ」「みっつ」 are long‑used native forms. They stop at 「とお（ten）」. There are no native forms for eleven or twelve.

Older texts used phrases like 「とおあまりひとつ」（ten and one）. This set suits everyday feel more than exact calculation.

Example: 「りんごをみっつ買いました／子どもがふたりいます」（I bought three apples / I have two children）
People: 「ひとり」「ふたり」 are special; from three it is 「さんにん」「よにん」.

Sino‑Japanese set: 「漢語（かんご, Kango）」 and base‑10 structure

The line 「いち・に・さん・し・ご…」 came from Chinese and builds larger numbers by combination.

例：十一（じゅういち）／十二（じゅうに）／百（ひゃく）／千（せん）／一万人（いちまんにん） (Examples: eleven / twelve / hundred / thousand / ten thousand people)

It spread in education, public records, and Buddhist texts because of clarity and efficiency.

Pronunciation notes:

4 often said as 「よん」 (not 「し」), and 7 as 「なな」 (not 「しち」)
Sound shifts: 「いっぷん」「さんびゃく」「ろっぴゃく」「はっぽん」

Counters attach to numbers for kinds of things. Most go with Sino‑Japanese; up to ten, native 「〜つ」 is common.

Item	Counter	Common forms
General objects	「〜つ」	「ひとつ」「ふたつ」「みっつ」…「とお」
People	「〜にん」	「ひとり」「ふたり」「さんにん」「よにん」…
Long thin objects	「〜ほん」	「いっぽん」「にほん」「さんぼん」…
Thin flat objects	「〜まい」	「いちまい」「にまい」「さんまい」…
Small animals	「〜ひき」	「いっぴき」「にひき」「さんびき」…
Time	「〜じ」「〜ふん」	「いちじ」「にじ」…／「いっぷん」「にふん」「さんぷん」…

Tips:

Up to ten, 「〜つ」 sounds friendly in speech.
From eleven or with a unit, use Sino‑Japanese + counter (for example: 「十一人」「十二枚」「三十分」).

How roles are shared today

Use	Common choice	Examples
Everyday, sensory	Native 「〜つ」	「みっつ」「よっつ」「とお」
Calculation, units	Sino‑Japanese	「さんにん」「じゅうえん」「ろっぽん」
Age	Sino‑Japanese 「〜さい」	「いっさい」「はたち（special）」「にじゅういっさい」
Money, time	Sino‑Japanese	「ごひゃくえん」「さんじゅっぷん」

Both remain because each has a living role today.

Shared patterns in Asian languages

Japanese 「いち・に・さん」 comes from Chinese 「一 yī・二 èr・三 sān」 and spread across the region.

Language	3	4	10
Chinese	sān	sì	shí
Korean	삼 (sam)	사 (sa)	십 (sip)
Thai	สาม (sǎːm)	สี่ (sìː)	สิบ (sìp)
Vietnamese (Sino‑Vietnamese)	tam	tứ	thập
Japanese	「さん」	「し／よん」	「じゅう」

Historically, Chinese functioned as a shared language for Buddhism, trade, and government writing.

Why Japanese kept its own color

It adopted Chinese number words but kept the native set too. This preserves not only convenience but a way of feeling the world through words.

「みっつ」: close to the hand and to daily life
「さん」: precise for numbers and calculation

Three scripts—hiragana, katakana, kanji—also helped keep different layers.

Study tips

Small numbers up to ten: 「〜つ」 in conversation
With units: Sino‑Japanese + counter (for example: 「さんぼん」「にじゅっぷん」)
People: 「ひとり」「ふたり」 special; from three use 「〜にん」
4 and 7: use 「よん」「なな」 in daily speech

Summary

Two systems live together in Japanese.
Native carries cultural value; Sino‑Japanese brings structure.
Asian languages share Chinese roots; Japanese blends them in its own way.
Words kept even if less efficient can shape identity.

📝 Terms

「和語（わご）」: native Japanese words.
「漢語（かんご）」: Chinese‑derived words in Japanese.
「数詞（すうし）」: number words.
「助数詞（じょすうし）」: counters used in counting.
「十進法（じっしんほう）」: base‑10.
「漢越語（かんえつご）」: Sino‑Vietnamese vocabulary.