Learn basic Japanese number vocabulary and how to count from 11 to 20
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| 十二 (jū ni) |
| 十三 (jū san) |
| 十四 (jū yon) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Japanese numbers and how to count from 11 to 20. |
| Before we start, did you know there's a special way to say "20 years old" in Japanese… which doesn’t follow the typical grammar pattern of saying one’s age? Do you know why? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| 十一 (jū ichi) |
| "eleven" |
| [SLOW] 十一 (jū ichi) |
| 十一 (jū ichi) |
| In Japanese wordplay, the number 11 can be read as “ii” (meaning “good” in Japanese). |
| For example, 22 can be read as “fūfu” (meaning “married couple”), so November 22nd (11/22) is celebrated as “Good Couple Day” (いい夫婦の日) in Japan. |
| Steve and Jack are at a department store. |
| Steve: このデパートは十一階建てです。 (Kono depāto wa jū ikkai date desu.) |
| Jack: とても大きいですね。 (Totemo ōkii desu ne.) |
| 十二 (jū ni) |
| "twelve" |
| [SLOW] 十二 (jū ni) |
| 十二 (jū ni) |
| There are 12 (jyū-ni) twelve signs in the Japanese zodiac (干支, eto), which are used to represent each year in a 12年周期 (12-year cycle) |
| 子・丑・寅・卯・辰・巳・午・未・申・酉・戌・亥. |
| Susan comments on the time to Lina. |
| Susan: 時間を見てください。もう十二時です。 (Jikan o mite kudasai. Mō jū ni-ji desu.) |
| Lina: じゃあ、昼ご飯の時間ですね！ (Jā, hirugohan no jikan desu ne!) |
| 十三 (jū san) |
| "thirteen" |
| [SLOW] 十三 (jū san) |
| 十三 (jū san) |
| In some countries, the number 13,十三 (jū san) is considered an unlucky number, but in Japan, it’s not really seen that way, so you will always see a １３階 (thirteenth floor) in older buildings unlike in the US. |
| Jack and Steve are at a bakery. |
| Jack: クッキーを何枚買いましょうか。 (Kukkī o nan-mai kaimashō ka.) |
| Steve: 十三枚買いましょうか。 (Jū san-mai kaimashõ ka.) |
| 十四 (jū shi / jū yon) |
| "fourteen" |
| [SLOW] 十四 (jū shi / jū yon) |
| 十四 (jū shi / jū yon) |
| The number 14 can be read as both "じゅうし" and "じゅうよん" , but when it's combined with a counter, "じゅうよん" is more commonly used. 14本, 14個. |
| Oscar tells Steve about his online class. |
| Steve: クラスには生徒が何人いるんですか。 (Kurasu ni wa seito ga nan-nin iru n desu ka.) |
| Oscar: 十四人いますよ。 (Jū yo-nin imasu yo.) |
| 十五 (jū go) |
| "fifteen" |
| [SLOW] 十五 (jū go) |
| 十五 (jū go) |
| "15の夜" (Fifteen's Night) is a famous song by Ozaki Yutaka, released in the 1980s. |
| The song reflects the struggles and emotions of youth, capturing the rebellious spirit of being 15 years old. |
| Lina tells Susan about an upcoming trip. |
| Lina: 十五日間タイに行きます。 (Jū go-nichi-kan Tai ni ikimasu.) |
| Susan: 楽しそうですね！ (Tanoshisō desu ne!) |
| 十六 (jū roku) |
| "sixteen" |
| [SLOW] 十六 (jū roku) |
| 十六 (jū roku) |
| Do you remember your multiplication tables? |
| 8×2=16 |
| Eight times two equals sixteen. |
| Steve and Oscar are at photo shoot. |
| Steve: 十六分あります。 (Jū roppun arimasu.) |
| Oscar: 急ぎましょう。 (Isogimashō.) |
| 十七 (jū shichi / jū nana) |
| "seventeen" |
| [SLOW] 十七 (jū shichi / jū nana) |
| 十七 (jū shichi / jū nana) |
| There is an ice cream vending machine called セブンティーンアイス that you can find around in Japan. |
| Jack and Steve talk about their friend's family. |
| Jack: 彼の娘さんは今、何歳ですか。 (Kare no musume-san wa ima, nan-sai desu ka.) |
| Steve: 十七歳です。 (Jū nana-sai desu.) |
| 十八 (jū hachi) |
| "eighteen" |
| [SLOW] 十八 (jū hachi) |
| 十八 (jū hachi) |
| If there's a song you're good at singing, it's called your 'ohako'—written as 'number 18' (十八番) and pronounced ohako. |
| Susan and Lina plan a small party. |
| Susan: 何人、パーティーに来ますか。 (Nan-nin, pātī ni kimasu ka.) |
| Lina: 十八人です。もっと椅子が必要ですね！ (Jū hachi-nin desu. Motto isu ga hitsuyō desu ne.) |
| 十九 (jū kyū) |
| "nineteen" |
| [SLOW] 十九 (jū kyū) |
| 十九 (jū kyū) |
| If you want to get a feel for the Japanese music scene of the 1990s, there’s a duo that uses the number nineteen as their name, but it’s not じゅうきゅう. They’re actually called "じゅうく". |
| Oscar lends Tom some books for a photography project. |
| Oscar: ここに本が十九冊あります。 (Koko ni hon ga jū kyū-satsu arimasu.) |
| Tom: たくさんありますね！ありがとう。 (Takusan arimasu ne! Arigatō.) |
| 二十 (ni-jū) |
| "twenty" |
| [SLOW] 二十 (ni-jū) |
| 二十 (ni-jū) |
| Did you know there are two ways to say the twentieth day of the month? |
| It’s not always にじゅうにち. |
| はつか is the most common！ |
| Susan asks Steve about one of his close friends. |
| Susan: お友達とはとても仲が良さそうですね。 (O-tomodachi to wa totemo naka ga yosasō desu ne.) |
| Steve: はい。私達は二十年前に出会いました。 (Hai. Watashi-tachi wa ni-jū-nen mae ni deaimashita.) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Japanese. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "eleven"? |
| 十一 (jū ichi) |
| 十一 (jū ichi) |
| And how to say "twelve"? |
| 十二 (jū ni) |
| 十二 (jū ni) |
| How about "thirteen"? |
| 十三 (jū san) |
| 十三 (jū san) |
| Do you remember how to say "fourteen"? |
| 十四 (jū yon) |
| 十四 (jū yon) |
| And how to say "fifteen"? |
| 十五 (jū go) |
| 十五 (jū go) |
| Let's try "sixteen"! |
| 十六 (jū roku) |
| 十六 (jū roku) |
| What about "seventeen"? |
| 十七 (jū shichi / jū nana) |
| 十七 (jū shichi / jū nana) |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "eighteen"! |
| 十八 (jū hachi) |
| 十八 (jū hachi) |
| Another one! What about "nineteen"? |
| 十九 (jū kyū) |
| 十九 (jū kyū) |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "twenty"? |
| 二十 (ni-jū) |
| 二十 (ni-jū) |
| Did you know there's a special way to say "20 years old" in Japanese? Do you know why? |
| In Japanese, to say someone's age, you typically attach "-sai" to the number. For instance, "jūni-sai" means twelve years old. However, when someone turns 20, the term changes to "hatachi" instead of "nijū-sai." |
| "Hatachi" is an ancient word, and using it emphasizes the significance of turning 20 in the Japanese culture. At 20, you're considered an adult both legally and in society. While "nijū-sai" isn't incorrect, it doesn't convey the special meaning that "hatachi" does. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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