Introduction

If you're just starting to learn Japanese, one of the first and most important sets of kanji to master is the numbers from 1 to 10. These simple yet essential characters appear everywhere — from prices and dates to time and counting objects.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

The kanji for numbers 1 to 10
On’yomi (Chinese reading) and Kun’yomi (Japanese reading)
English meanings
Real-life example words using each number

Japanese Number Kanji 1 to 10

1. 一 (いち, ichi) – One

Meaning: 1
On’yomi: イチ (ichi)
Kun’yomi: ひと・つ (hito-tsu)
Examples:
一人 (ひとり, hitori) – one person
一日 (いちにち, ichinichi) – one day

2. 二 (に, ni) – Two

Meaning: 2
On’yomi: ニ (ni)
Kun’yomi: ふた・つ (futa-tsu)
Examples:
二人 (ふたり, futari) – two people
二月 (にがつ, nigatsu) – February

3. 三 (さん, san) – Three

Meaning: 3
On’yomi: サン (san)
Kun’yomi: みっ・つ (mittsu)
Examples:
三日 (みっか, mikka) – third day
三角 (さんかく, sankaku) – triangle

4. 四 (し / よん, shi / yon) – Four

Meaning: 4
On’yomi: シ (shi)
Kun’yomi: よっ・つ、よん、よ (yottsu, yon, yo)
Examples:
四人 (よにん, yonin) – four people
四月 (しがつ, shigatsu) – April

5. 五 (ご, go) – Five

Meaning: 5
On’yomi: ゴ (go)
Kun’yomi: いつ・つ (itsutsu)
Examples:
五時 (ごじ, goji) – 5 o'clock
五円 (ごえん, goen) – 5 yen

6. 六 (ろく, roku) – Six

Meaning: 6
On’yomi: ロク (roku)
Kun’yomi: むっ・つ (muttsu)
Examples:
六時 (ろくじ, rokuji) – 6 o'clock
六本 (ろっぽん, roppon) – six long objects

7. 七 (しち / なな, shichi / nana) – Seven

Meaning: 7
On’yomi: シチ (shichi)
Kun’yomi: なな・つ (nanatsu)
Examples:
七月 (しちがつ, shichigatsu) – July
七人 (ななにん, nananin) – seven people

8. 八 (はち, hachi) – Eight

Meaning: 8
On’yomi: ハチ (hachi)
Kun’yomi: やっ・つ (yattsu)
Examples:
八百 (はっぴゃく, happyaku) – 800
八時 (はちじ, hachiji) – 8 o'clock

9. 九 (きゅう / く, kyuu / ku) – Nine

Meaning: 9
On’yomi: キュウ、ク (kyuu, ku)
Kun’yomi: ここの・つ (kokonotsu)
Examples:
九月 (くがつ, kugatsu) – September
九人 (きゅうにん, kyuunin) – nine people

10. 十 (じゅう, juu) – Ten

Meaning: 10
On’yomi: ジュウ (juu)
Kun’yomi: とお (too)
Examples:
十日 (とおか, tooka) – tenth day
十分 (じゅっぷん, juppun) – ten minutes

💬 Final Thoughts

Learning these number kanji is a powerful foundation for expanding your Japanese skills. They're easy to write, frequently used, and essential for dates, counting, time, and money.

The Secret to Remembering Japanese Kanji Numbers from 1 to 10