Counting in Japanese

Whenever we count during Aikido training, it’s done in Japanese.  Do your best to use your voice properly (loud and clear) so everyone who needs to hear you can.  Be careful not to let your counting become screaming as that would be considered disrespectful.  Counting in Japanese is easy, once you understand the method.  You can count from 1 to 99 simply by learning 1 through 10 and how to combine them.

NOTE: For the pronunciations, each syllable (sound-group) should take the same length of time to say.  For example, the number 21 Ni ju ichi  is pronounced “nee-djyuu-ee-tchee “.  The “nee” in ni should take just as long as the “djyuu” in jyu.The hyphen symbol (“-“) divides each syllable.  Also, the syllable in bold type-face should be pronounced with slightly more emphasis.

1 through 10:

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
One	Ichi	“ee-tchee”
Two	Ni	“nee”
Three	San	“sann”
Four	Shi / Yon	“shee” / “yawnn”
Five	Go	“go”
Six	Roku	“roe-koo”
Seven	Shichi / Nana	“shee-tchi” / “nna-nna”
Eight	Hachi	“ha-tchee”
Nine	Kyu / Ku	“kyoo” / “koo”
Ten	Ju	“dyjoo”

11 through 19 (notice how we are just adding to 10?):

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Eleven	Ju ichi	“djyoo-ee-tchee”
Twelve	Ju ni	“djyoo-nee”
Thirteen	Ju san	“djyoo-sann”
Fourteen	Ju shi	“djyoo-shee”
Fifteen	Ju go	“djyoo-go”
Sixteen	Ju roku	“djyoo-roe-koo”
Seventeen	Ju shichi	“djyoo-shee-tchee”
Eighteen	Ju hachi	“djyoo-ha-tchee”
Nineteen	Ju ku	“djyoo-koo”

Over 20 (notice how 20 is really just 2 10’s and how the alternate pronunciations for 4 and 7 are used):

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Twenty	Ni ju	“nee-djyoo”
Twenty one	Ni ju ichi	“nee-djyoo-ee-tchee”
Twenty two	Ni ju ni	“nee-djyoo-nee”
Thirty	San ju	“sann-djyoo”
Thirty one	San ju ichi	“sann-djyoo-ee-tchee”
Forty	Yon ju	“yawnn-djyoo”
Forty one	Yon ju ichi	“yawnn-djyoo-ee-tchee”
Seventy	Nana ju	“nna-nna-djyoo”
Seventy one	Nana ju ichi	“nna-nna-djyoo-ee-tchee”
Ninety nine	Kyu ju kyu	“kyoo-djyoo-kyoo”
Hundred	Hyaku / Byaku / Pyaku	“hya-ku” / “bya-ku” / ”pya-ku”
Thousand	Sen / Zen	“senn” / “zenn”
Ten Thousand	Man	“mann”

Note: Three Hundred (San Byaku) is pronounced “sam-bya-koo” and Eight Hundred (Hap Pyaku) is “hap-pya-koo”