Study Guide: How to Read Big Numbers in
Japanese
Introduction
Understanding how to read big numbers in Japanese can be quite different from English. This guide will
help you navigate the structure and terminology used in Japanese numbering.
Basic Number Structure
Units: Japanese numbers are built on units of 10, 100, 1,000, etc.
Digits: Each digit has a specific name, and larger numbers are grouped in units of 10,000 (万, man).
Key Terms
1 (一, ichi)
10 (十, juu)
100 (百, hyaku)
1,000 (千, sen)
10,000 (万, man)
100 million (億, oku)
Reading Large Numbers
Examples
1,000: 千 (sen)
10,000: 万 (man)
100,000: 十万 (juuman)
1,000,000: 百万 (hyakuman)
10,000,000: 千万 (senman)
100,000,000: 一億 (ichioku)
Breakdown of Larger Numbers
When reading larger numbers, break them down into manageable
Parts. For example:
1,234,567:
1 million (百万, hyakuman)
2 hundred thousand (二十万, nijuuman)
3 ten thousand (三万, sanman)
Japanese
Introduction
Understanding how to read big numbers in Japanese can be quite different from English. This guide will
help you navigate the structure and terminology used in Japanese numbering.
Basic Number Structure
Units: Japanese numbers are built on units of 10, 100, 1,000, etc.
Digits: Each digit has a specific name, and larger numbers are grouped in units of 10,000 (万, man).
Key Terms
1 (一, ichi)
10 (十, juu)
100 (百, hyaku)
1,000 (千, sen)
10,000 (万, man)
100 million (億, oku)
Reading Large Numbers
Examples
1,000: 千 (sen)
10,000: 万 (man)
100,000: 十万 (juuman)
1,000,000: 百万 (hyakuman)
10,000,000: 千万 (senman)
100,000,000: 一億 (ichioku)
Breakdown of Larger Numbers
When reading larger numbers, break them down into manageable
Parts. For example:
1,234,567:
1 million (百万, hyakuman)
2 hundred thousand (二十万, nijuuman)
3 ten thousand (三万, sanman)
