The number system of ancient Japanese is not used now except 1 through 10, which are sometimes used as alternate vocabulary. The modern Japanese language uses a different number system imported from Chinese. The "Modern" column below means the modern pronunciation of ancient Japanese numbers.
* Different form
† Different word
Note:
The suffixes "tu", "ti", and "di" (modern "tsu", "chi", and "ji") were used to count general objects. This is similar to the number system of the Ainu.
32 objects = misodi amari putatu
32 days = misoka amari putuka
32 years = misotose amari putatose
The conjunction "amari" sometimes became "mari". For example 32 = misodi amari putatu = misodimari putatu
Larger numbers:
Number | Ancient Reading | Modern Reading | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
0 | ? | ? | - |
1 | pitotu | hitotsu | 1 obj. |
2 | putatu | futatsu | 2 obj. |
3 | mitu | mittsu | 3 obj. |
4 | yotu | yottsu | 4 obj. |
5 | itutu | itsutsu | 5 obj. |
6 | mutu | muttsu | 6 obj. |
7 | nanatu | nanatsu | 7 obj. |
8 | yatu | yattsu | 8 obj. |
9 | kokonotu | kokonotsu | 9 obj. |
10 | towo | tō | 10 |
11 | towo amari pitotu | tō amari hitotsu | 10 and 1 obj. |
12 | towo amari putatu | tō amari futatsu | 10 and 2 obj. |
13 | towo amari mitu | tō amari mittsu | 10 and 3 obj. |
14 | towo amari yotu | tō amari yottsu | 10 and 4 obj. |
15 | towo amari itutu | tō amari itsutsu | 10 and 5 obj. |
16 | towo amari mutu | tō amari muttsu | 10 and 6 obj. |
17 | towo amari nanatu | tō amari nanatsu | 10 and 7 obj. |
18 | towo amari yatu | tō amari yattsu | 10 and 8 obj. |
19 | towo amari kokonotu | tō amari kokonotsu | 10 and 9 obj. |
20 | patati | hatachi | 20 obj.* |
21 | patati amari pitotu | hatachi amari hitotsu | 20 obj.* and 1 obj. |
22 | patati amari putatu | hatachi amari futatsu | 20 obj.* and 2 obj. |
23 | patati amari mitu | hatachi amari mittsu | 20 obj.* and 3 obj. |
24 | patati amari yotu | hatachi amari yottsu | 20 obj.* and 4 obj. |
25 | patati amari itutu | hatachi amari itsutsu | 20 obj.* and 5 obj. |
26 | patati amari mutu | hatachi amari muttsu | 20 obj.* and 6 obj. |
27 | patati amari nanatu | hatachi amari nanatsu | 20 obj.* and 7 obj. |
28 | patati amari yatu | hatachi amari yattsu | 20 obj.* and 8 obj. |
29 | patati amari kokonotu | hatachi amari kokonotsu | 20 obj.* and 9 obj. |
30 | misodi | misoji | 3 × 10† obj.* |
31 | misodi amari pitotu | misoji amari hitotsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
32 | misodi amari putatu | misoji amari futatsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
33 | misodi amari mitu | misoji amari mittsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
34 | misodi amari yotu | misoji amari yottsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
35 | misodi amari itutu | misoji amari itsutsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
36 | misodi amari mutu | misoji amari muttsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
37 | misodi amari nanatu | misoji amari nanatsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
38 | misodi amari yatu | misoji amari yattsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
39 | misodi amari kokonotu | misoji amari kokonotsu | 3 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
40 | yosodi | yosoji | 4 × 10† obj.* |
41 | yosodi amari pitotu | yosoji amari hitotsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
42 | yosodi amari putatu | yosoji amari futatsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
43 | yosodi amari mitu | yosoji amari mittsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
44 | yosodi amari yotu | yosoji amari yottsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
45 | yosodi amari itutu | yosoji amari itsutsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
46 | yosodi amari mutu | yosoji amari muttsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
47 | yosodi amari nanatu | yosoji amari nanatsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
48 | yosodi amari yatu | yosoji amari yattsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
49 | yosodi amari kokonotu | yosoji amari kokonotsu | 4 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
50 | isodi | isoji | 5* × 10† obj.* |
51 | isodi amari pitotu | isoji amari hitotsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
52 | isodi amari putatu | isoji amari futatsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
53 | isodi amari mitu | isoji amari mittsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
54 | isodi amari yotu | isoji amari yottsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
55 | isodi amari itutu | isoji amari itsutsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
56 | isodi amari mutu | isoji amari muttsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
57 | isodi amari nanatu | isoji amari nanatsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
58 | isodi amari yatu | isoji amari yattsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
59 | isodi amari kokonotu | isoji amari kokonotsu | 5* × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
60 | musodi | musoji | 6 × 10† obj.* |
61 | musodi amari pitotu | musoji amari hitotsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
62 | musodi amari putatu | musoji amari futatsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
63 | musodi amari mitu | musoji amari mittsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
64 | musodi amari yotu | musoji amari yottsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
65 | musodi amari itutu | musoji amari itsutsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
66 | musodi amari mutu | musoji amari muttsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
67 | musodi amari nanatu | musoji amari nanatsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
68 | musodi amari yatu | musoji amari yattsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
69 | musodi amari kokonotu | musoji amari kokonotsu | 6 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
70 | nanasodi | nanasoji | 7 × 10† obj.* |
71 | nanasodi amari pitotu | nanasoji amari hitotsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
72 | nanasodi amari putatu | nanasoji amari futatsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
73 | nanasodi amari mitu | nanasoji amari mittsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
74 | nanasodi amari yotu | nanasoji amari yottsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
75 | nanasodi amari itutu | nanasoji amari itsutsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
76 | nanasodi amari mutu | nanasoji amari muttsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
77 | nanasodi amari nanatu | nanasoji amari nanatsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
78 | nanasodi amari yatu | nanasoji amari yattsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
79 | nanasodi amari kokonotu | nanasoji amari kokonotsu | 7 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
80 | yasodi | yasoji | 8 × 10† obj.* |
81 | yasodi amari pitotu | yasoji amari hitotsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
82 | yasodi amari putatu | yasoji amari futatsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
83 | yasodi amari mitu | yasoji amari mittsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
84 | yasodi amari yotu | yasoji amari yottsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
85 | yasodi amari itutu | yasoji amari itsutsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
86 | yasodi amari mutu | yasoji amari muttsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
87 | yasodi amari nanatu | yasoji amari nanatsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
88 | yasodi amari yatu | yasoji amari yattsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
89 | yasodi amari kokonotu | yasoji amari kokonotsu | 8 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
90 | kokonosodi | kokonosoji | 9 × 10† obj.* |
91 | kokonosodi amari pitotu | kokonosoji amari hitotsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 1 obj. |
92 | kokonosodi amari putatu | kokonosoji amari futatsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 2 obj. |
93 | kokonosodi amari mitu | kokonosoji amari mittsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 3 obj. |
94 | kokonosodi amari yotu | kokonosoji amari yottsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 4 obj. |
95 | kokonosodi amari itutu | kokonosoji amari itsutsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 5 obj. |
96 | kokonosodi amari mutu | kokonosoji amari muttsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 6 obj. |
97 | kokonosodi amari nanatu | kokonosoji amari nanatsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 7 obj. |
98 | kokonosodi amari yatu | kokonosoji amari yattsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 8 obj. |
99 | kokonosodi amari kokonotu | kokonosoji amari kokonotsu | 9 × 10† obj.* and 9 obj. |
100 | momo | momo | 100 |
* Different form
† Different word
Note:
The suffixes "tu", "ti", and "di" (modern "tsu", "chi", and "ji") were used to count general objects. This is similar to the number system of the Ainu.
Number | Ancient Root | Modern Root | Objects (-tu, ancient) | Objects (-tsu, modern) | People (-tari, ancient) | People (-tori, modern) | Days (-uka, ancient) | Days (-oka, modern) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | pito | hito | pitotu | hitotsu | pitori | hitori | pitopi | hitohi |
2 | puta | futa | putatu | futatsu | putari | futari | putuka | futsuka |
3 | mi | mi | mitu | mittsu | mitari | mittari | mika | mikka |
4 | yo | yo | yotu | yottsu | yotari | yottari | yoka | yokka |
5 | itu | itsu | itutu | itsutsu | itutari | itsutari | ituka | itsuka |
6 | mu | mu | mutu | muttsu | mutari | mutari | muyuka | muika |
7 | nana | nana | nanatu | nanatsu | nanatari | nanatari | nanuka | nanoka |
8 | ya | ya | yatu | yattsu | yatari | yatari | yauka | yōka |
9 | kokono | kokono | kokonotu | kokonotsu | kokonotari | kokonotari | kokonuka | kokonoka |
10 | to | to | towo | tō | totari | totari | towoka | tōka |
20 | pata | hata | patati | hatachi | patatari | hatatari | patuka | hatsuka |
30 | miso | miso | misodi | misoji | misotari | misotari | misoka | misoka |
32 objects = misodi amari putatu
32 days = misoka amari putuka
32 years = misotose amari putatose
The conjunction "amari" sometimes became "mari". For example 32 = misodi amari putatu = misodimari putatu
Larger numbers:
Number | Ancient Reading | Modern Reading | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
100 | momo | momo | 100 |
200 | putapo | futao | 2 × 100† |
300 | mipo | mio | 3 × 100† |
400 | yopo | yoo | 4 × 100† |
500 | ipo | io | 5* × 100† |
600 | mupo | muo | 6 × 100† |
700 | nanapo | nanao | 7 × 100† |
800 | yapo | yao | 8 × 100† |
900 | kokonopo | kokonoo | 9 × 100† |
1000 | ti | chi | 1000 |
2000 | putati | futachi | 2 × 1000 |
3000 | miti | michi | 3 × 1000 |
4000 | yoti | yochi | 4 × 1000 |
5000 | iti | ichi | 5* × 1000 |
6000 | muti | muchi | 6 × 1000 |
7000 | nanati | nanachi | 7 × 1000 |
8000 | yati | yachi | 8 × 1000 |
9000 | kokonoti | kokonochi | 9 × 1000 |
10000 | yorodu | yorozu | 10000 |
20000 | putayorodu | futayorozu | 2 × 10000 |
30000 | miyorodu | miyorozu | 3 × 10000 |
40000 | yoyorodu | yoyorozu | 4 × 10000 |
50000 | iyorodu | iyorozu | 5* × 10000 |
60000 | muyorodu | muyorozu | 6 × 10000 |
70000 | nanayorodu | nanayorozu | 7 × 10000 |
80000 | yayorodu | yayorozu | 8 × 10000 |
90000 | kokonoyorodu | kokonoyorozu | 9 × 10000 |