JLPT N5 Kanji Lesson 01: Basic Numbers (一から万まで)

Introduction

Welcome to the first Kanji lesson of JLPT N5! In this foundational lesson, you will master the essential Japanese number Kanji from 1 to 10,000 (一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十, 百, 千, 万). These characters are fundamental for shopping, telling time, dates, phone numbers, and daily transactions in Japan. For Nepali learners, mastering the distinction between Kun-yomi (native Japanese counting: ひとつ、ふたつ) and On-yomi (Sino-Japanese counting: いち、に、さん) is the key to unlocking Japanese numerical fluency.

Learning Objectives

• Master the stroke order, On-yomi (音読み), and Kun-yomi (訓読み) of 13 basic number Kanji.
• Recognize and read prices, quantities, and counter compounds (百, 千, 万).
• Understand the special pronunciation sound changes (rendaku/sokuon: さんびゃく, ろっぴゃく, はっぴゃく, さんぜん, はっせん).
• Achieve 100% accuracy in reading and writing number kanji in JLPT N5 test questions.

---

Lesson Contents

Concept / Meaning

Kanji characters representing numbers are ideographs derived from tally marks and ancient pictographs. While 一, 二, 三 directly represent 1, 2, and 3 strokes, characters like 十, 百, 千, and 万 represent organizational base units in the Japanese decimal system.

Japanese Form

一 (イチ/ひと-), 二 (ニ/ふた-), 三 (サン/み-), 四 (シ/よん/よ-), 五 (ゴ/いつ-), 六 (ロク/む-), 七 (シチ/なな-), 八 (ハチ/や-), 九 (キュウ/ク/ここの-), 十 (ジュウ/とお), 百 (ヒャク), 千 (セン), 万 (マン)

English Meaning

Basic Numerals (1 to 10,000: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand)

Nepali Meaning

आधारभूत जापानी संख्या कान्जीहरू (१ देखि १०,००० सम्म: एक, दुई, तीन, चार, पाँच, छ, सात, आठ, नौ, दस, सय, हजार, दश हजार)

---

Detailed Explanation

Basic Rule

1. Writing Rule: Write horizontal strokes from left to right, and vertical strokes from top to bottom.
2. Reading Rule: When combined in mathematical numbers and prices, use On-yomi (e.g., 三百円 = さんびゃくえん). When used with native general counters (〜つ), use Kun-yomi (e.g., 一つ = ひとつ, 二つ = ふたつ).
3. Number 4 and 7 note: 四 is read よん (Yon) or し (Shi); 七 is read なな (Nana) or しち (Shichi). 4 and 9 often avoid ‘Shi’ (death) and ‘Ku’ (suffering) in certain contexts.

Formation

• 一: 1 stroke (horizontal line from left to right)

• 二: 2 strokes (shorter top stroke, longer bottom stroke)

• 三: 3 strokes (middle stroke shortest, bottom stroke longest)

• 四: 5 strokes (box enclosing two inner strokes)

• 五: 4 strokes (top horizontal, vertical stroke slanted, lower angle, bottom base)

• 六: 4 strokes (top dot/lid + hat + two legs)

• 七: 2 strokes (horizontal cutting across curved vertical hook)

• 八: 2 strokes (two spreading legs, left short, right long)

• 九: 2 strokes (slanted left stroke, then curved hook)

• 十: 2 strokes (horizontal then vertical cross)

• 百: 6 strokes (top horizontal 一, then 白 white)

• 千: 3 strokes (slanted top tick, horizontal cross, vertical pole)

• 万: 3 strokes (top 一, hook, slanted sweep)

Usage

Used in dates (一月 =いちがつ), currency (五百円 =ごひゃくえん), age (二十歳 =はたち / にじゅっさい), phone numbers, and counting objects. In Minna no Nihongo Lesson 11 and everyday life in Japan, these kanji are everywhere on convenience store receipts, price tags, and bank forms.

Important Notes

Sound Changes (Onbin/Rendaku) to memorize for JLPT:

• 百 (ひゃく): 300 = さんびゃく (Sanbyaku), 600 = ろっぴゃく (Roppyaku), 800 = はっぴゃく (Happyaku).
• 千 (せん): 3,000 = さんぜん (Sanzen), 8,000 = はっせん (Hassen).
• 万 (まん): Always counted in 10,000 units. 100,000 is 十万 (じゅうまん), 1,000,000 is 百万 (ひゃくまん).

Exceptions

Special irregular readings:

• 一人 (ひとり – 1 person)
• 二人 (ふたり – 2 people)
• 一日 (ついたち – 1st day of month)
• 二十日 (はつか – 20th day of month)
• 二十歳 (はたち – 20 years old)

Common Mistakes

Nepali students often confuse 千 (1,000) and 干 (dry), or confuse the stroke length in 二 and 三. Also, remember that Nepali counts in lakhs (100,000), but Japanese counts in 万 (10,000 units), so 50,000 is 五万 (5 man).

---

Examples

Example 1

• Japanese: りんごを三つ買いました。
• Reading: りんごを みっつ かいました。
• English: I bought three apples.
• Nepali: मैले तीनवटा स्याउ किनेँ।

Example 2

• Japanese: この本は千五百円です。
• Reading: この ほんは せんごひゃくえんです。
• English: This book is 1,500 yen.
• Nepali: यो किताब १,५०० येन हो।

Example 3

• Japanese: 私のクラスには二十人の学生がいます。
• Reading: わたしの クラスには にじゅうにんの がくせいが います。
• English: There are 20 students in my class.
• Nepali: मेरो कक्षामा २० जना विद्यार्थीहरू छन्।

Example 4

• Japanese: 来月、一万円を両替します。
• Reading: らいげつ、いちまんえんを りょうがえします。
• English: Next month, I will exchange 10,000 yen.
• Nepali: अर्को महिना, म १०,००० येन साट्नेछु।

---

Vocabulary

---

Conversation Practice

Situation

At a Tokyo electronics store asking for prices.

Dialogue

A (Nepali Student): すみません、この辞書はいくらですか。 (すみません、この じしょは いくらですか。)

B (Clerk): これは八千五百円です。 (これは はっせんごひゃくえんです。)

A (Nepali Student): あちらの小さいノートは？ (あちらの ちいさい ノートは？)

B (Clerk): 一冊二百五十円です。三冊で六百円になりますよ。 (いっさつ にひゃくごじゅうえんです。さんさつで ろっぴゃくえんに なりますよ。)

Translation

• English:

A: Excuse me, how much is this dictionary?

B: This is 8,500 yen.

A: What about that small notebook over there?

B: One copy is 250 yen. Three copies are 600 yen.

• Nepali:

A: माफ गर्नुहोस्, यो शब्दकोश कति रुपैयाँ (येन) हो?

B: यो ८,५०० येन हो।

A: उताको त्यो सानो कापी नि?

B: एउटाको २५० येन हो। तीनवटाको ६०० येन पर्छ।

Speaking Practice

Practice reading out large Japanese numbers aloud: 12,500 yen (一万二千五百円), 8,600 yen (八千六百円), and 350 yen (三百五十円).

---

Reading Practice

Short Reading

田中さんの家族は四人です。田中さん、奥さん、そして子どもが二人います。田中さんは昨日デパートへ行きました。シャツを二枚買いました。シャツは一枚三千円でしたから、全部で六千円払いました。帰りにりんごを四つ買いました。りんごは一つ百五十円でした。

Vocabulary Help

奥さん (おくさん = wife), 二枚 (にまい = 2 flat items/shirts), 全部で (ぜんぶで = in total)

Reading Questions

1. 田中さんの家族は何人ですか。(How many people in Tanaka’s family?)
2. シャツは全部でいくらでしたか。(How much were the shirts in total?)
3. りんごは一ついくらでしたか。(How much was one apple?)

---

Practice

Fill in the Blank

1. かばんは (一万 / 千) 円です。[10,000 yen]
2. みかんを (二つ / 三つ) 食べました。[2 items]
3. 教室に学生が (八 / 十) 人います。[8 people]

Choose the Correct Answer

1. 300円の読み方は？ [A. さんひゃく / B. さんびゃく]
2. 8,000円の読み方は？ [A. はちせん / B. はっせん]
3. 4人の読み方は？ [A. よにん / B. しにん]

Sentence Formation

1. [本 / 三冊 / を / 買いました] -> 本を三冊買いました。
2. [五百円 / は / このペン / です] -> このペンは五百円です。

Word Arrangement

Arrange kanji to form prices: [百, 二, 円, 五, 十] -> 二百五十円

Translation Practice

1. There are five apples. -> りんごが五つあります。
2. This camera costs 38,000 yen. -> このカメラは三万八千円です。

Speaking Practice

Recite numbers 1 to 10 in both On-yomi (いち、に、さん…) and native Kun-yomi (ひとつ、ふたつ、みっつ…).

Writing Practice

Practice writing 一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十, 百, 千, 万 with proper stroke order 5 times each in your notebook.

---

Questions

Basic Questions

What is the stroke order rule for numbers with boxes like 四?

Understanding Questions

Why does 百 become びゃく in さんびゃく and ぴゃく in ろっぴゃく?

Application Questions

How do you write and read 47,800 yen in Japanese kanji?

JLPT-style Questions

How is 600 yen written and read in standard JLPT N5 questions?

---

Meaning

Japanese Meaning

一から万までの数字を表す基本的な漢字。

English Meaning

Fundamental Kanji representing numbers from 1 to 10,000.

Nepali Meaning

१ देखि १०,००० सम्मका आधारभूत संख्याहरू जनाउने कान्जीहरू।

Important Vocabulary

一 (one), 十 (ten), 百 (hundred), 千 (thousand), 万 (ten thousand)

---

How to Learn

Step 1: Understand

Observe the visual logic: 1, 2, 3 horizontal bars. Ten is a cross 十.

Step 2: Memorize

Memorize the On-yomi and Kun-yomi pairs for each number.

Step 3: Practice

Practice stroke order, especially box stroke order for 四 and slanted sweeps for 六 and 八.

Step 4: Speak

Read convenience store receipts and price tags out loud in Japanese.

Step 5: Read

Write out phone numbers and family member counts in kanji.

Step 6: Review

Review sound changes for 300, 600, 800, 3000, 8000 weekly.

Memory Tips

Think of 千 (sen) as having a slanted roof like ‘1000’ on a mountain house, and 万 (man) as a ten-thousand yen banknote flap!

---

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

• Incorrect: さんひゃくえん (Sanhiryaku-en) for 300 yen.
• Correct Form: さんびゃくえん (Sanbyaku-en).
• Why: 百 undergoes rendaku voicing after さん, becoming びゃく.

Mistake 2

• Incorrect: はちせんえん (Hachisen-en) for 8,000 yen.
• Correct Form: はっせんえん (Hassen-en).
• Why: 八 (はち) merges with せん to form a geminate consonant (っ), sounding はっせん.

---