5.2. Large numbers


The East Asian number system is based on ten thousand, which means multiplying ten thousand to a unit makes the next unit, while the European number system is based on one thousand, which means multiplying one thousand to a unit makes the next unit, for instance thousand times thousand is a million, and thousand times a million is a billion.

The Japanese units shown below are from the Hôreki version of Jinkôki, which was published in 1751. There are several less common large number names other than them. The units larger than (ke)(i) /ke'i/ ( 1016 ) are rarely used, like units larger than quadrillion are rarely used in American English.

NumberJapaneseAmerican English
104
Hiragana:(ma)(n)
Phonemes:ma'N
Romanization:man
 ten thousand
108
Hiragana:(o)(ku)
Phonemes:o'ku
Romanization:oku
 hundred million
1012
Hiragana:(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:tyo'u
Romanization:chô
 one trillion
1016
Hiragana:(ke)(i)
Phonemes:ke'i
Romanization:kei
 ten quadrillion
1020
Hiragana:(ga)(i)
Phonemes:ga'i
Romanization:gai
 hundred quintilliton
1024
Hiragana:(zi)(small yo)
Phonemes:zyo'
Romanization:jo
 one septillion
1028
Hiragana:(zi)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:zyo'u
Romanization:jô
 ten octillion
1032
Hiragana:(ko)(u)
Phonemes:ko'u
Romanization:kô
 hundred nonillion
1036
Hiragana:(ka)(n)
Phonemes:ka'N
Romanization:kan
 one undecillion
1040
Hiragana:(se)(i)
Phonemes:se'i
Romanization:sei
 ten duodecillion
1044
Hiragana:(sa)(i)
Phonemes:sa'i
Romanization:sai
 hundred tredecillion
1048
Hiragana:(go)(ku)
Phonemes:go'ku
Romanization:goku
 one quindecillion
1052
Hiragana:(go)(u)(ga)(si)(small ya)
Phonemes:gouga'sya
Romanization:gôgasha
 ten sexdecillion
1056
Hiragana:(a)(so)(u)(gi)
Phonemes:aso'ugi
Romanization:asôgi
 hundred septendecillion
1060
Hiragana:(na)(yu)(ta)
Phonemes:na'yuta
Romanization:nayuta
 one novemdecillion
1064
Hiragana:(hu)(ka)(si)(gi)
Phonemes:huka'sigi
Romanization:fukashigi
 ten vigintillion
1068
Hiragana:(mu)(ri)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:muryou
Romanization:muryô
 hundred unvigintillion
1072
Hiragana:(ta)(i)(su)(u)
Phonemes:taisu'u
Romanization:taisû
 one trevigintillion


Reading large numbers in Japanese may be awkward if your native language uses a system based on one thousand. To read large numbers in Japanese, divide them into four-digit groups, and read the groups separately and add appropriate units. If a four-digit group is zero, omit both the group and the unit. Don't omit a four-digit group even when it is one. For example, number 10000 is pronounced as (i)(ti)(ma)(n) /i ti ma' N/ "ichiman" (1 × 10000), not just (ma)(n) /ma' N/ "man".

Since digits should be divided into four-digit groups in Asian number system, commas for every three digits in English are not useful at all. But Japanese people do use a comma (not Japanese comma but European comma) for every three digits, not for every four digits.

The units of big numbers affect the phonemes of the last syllable of the preceding four-digit group. See the phoneme modification rule of small numbers.

Here is a big number example. Blue letters indicate changed phonemes.
Number 9784510283700004037 is pronounced as follows:

GroupDigits and units
0978
Digits and units:( 9 × 100+7 × 10+8 ) × 1016
Hiragana: (ki)(small yu)(u)(hi)(small ya)(ku)(na)(na)(zi)(small yu)(u)(ha)(small tu)(ke)(i)
Phonemes:kyu'uhyakunana'zyuuha'Qkei
Romanization:kyûhyakunanajûhakkei
4510
Digits and units:( 4 × 1000+5 × 100+10 ) × 1012
Hiragana: (yo)(n)(se)(n)(go)(hi)(small ya)(ku)(zi)(small yu)(small tu)(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:yoNse'Ngohyaku'zyu'Qtyou
Romanization:yonsengohyakujutchô
2837
Digits and units:( 2 × 1000+8 × 100+3 × 10+7 ) × 108
Hiragana: (ni)(se)(n)(ha)(small tu)(pi)(small ya)(ku)(sa)(n)(zi)(small yu)(u)(na)(na)(o)(ku)
Phonemes:nise'NhaQpyaku'sa'Nzyuunana'oku
Romanization:nisenhappyakusanjûnanaoku
0000 -
4037
Digits and units:4 × 1000+3 × 10+7
Hiragana: (yo)(n)(se)(n)(sa)(n)(zi)(small yu)(u)(na)(na)
Phonemes:yoNse'Nsa'Nzyuuna'na
Romanization:yonsensanjûnana

The result is (ki)(small yu)(u)(hi)(small ya)(ku) (na)(na)(zi)(small yu)(u) (ha)(small tu)(ke)(i) (yo)(n)(se)(n) (go)(hi)(small ya)(ku) (zi)(small yu)(small tu)(ti)(small yo)(u) (ni)(se)(n) (ha)(small tu)(pi)(small ya)(ku) (sa)(n)(zi)(small yu)(u) (na)(na)(o)(ku) (yo)(n)(se)(n) (sa)(n)(zi)(small yu)(u) (na)(na) /kyu' u hya ku na na' zyu u ha' Q ke i yo N se' N go hya ku' zyu' Q tyo u ni se' N ha Q pya ku' sa' N zyu u na na' o ku yo N se' N sa' N zyu u na' na/ "kyûhyaku nanajû hakkei yonsen gohyaku jutchô nisen happyaku sanjû nanaoku yonsen sanjû nana".


These are Japanese translations of American English large numbers.

NumberAmerican EnglishJapanese
103 one thousand
Hiragana:(se)(n)
Phonemes:se'N
Romanization:sen
106 one million
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(ku)(ma)(n)
Phonemes:hyakuma'N
Romanization:hyakuman
109 one billion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(u)(o)(ku)
Phonemes:zyu'uoku
Romanization:jûoku
1012 one trillion
Hiragana:(i)(small tu)(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:i'Qtyou
Romanization:itchô
1015 one quadrillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:se'Ntyou
Romanization:senchô
1018 one quintillion
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(small tu)(ke)(i)
Phonemes:hya'Qkei
Romanization:hyakkei
1021 one sextillion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(u)(ga)(i)
Phonemes:zyu'ugai
Romanization:jûgai
1024 one septillion
Hiragana:(i)(ti)(zi)(small yo)
Phonemes:iti'zyo
Romanization:ichijo
1027 one octillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(zi)(small yo)
Phonemes:se'Nzyo
Romanization:senjo
1030 one nonillion
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(ku)(zi)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:hyaku'zyou
Romanization:hyakujô
1033 one decillion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(small tu)(ko)(u)
Phonemes:zyu'Qkou
Romanization:jukkô
1036 one undecillion
Hiragana:(i)(small tu)(ka)(n)
Phonemes:i'QkaN
Romanization:ikkan
1039 one duodecillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(ka)(n)
Phonemes:se'NkaN
Romanization:senkan
1042 one tredecillion
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(ku)(se)(i)
Phonemes:hyaku'sei
Romanization:hyakusei
1045 one quattuordecillion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(small tu)(sa)(i)
Phonemes:zyu'Qsai
Romanization:jussai
1048 one quindecillion
Hiragana:(i)(ti)(go)(ku)
Phonemes:iti'goku
Romanization:ichigoku
1051 one sexdecillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(go)(ku)
Phonemes:se'Ngoku
Romanization:sengoku
1054 one septendecillion
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(ku)(go)(u)(ga)(si)(small ya)
Phonemes:hyakugouga'sya
Romanization:hyakugôgasha
1057 one octodecillion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(u)(a)(so)(u)(gi)
Phonemes:zyuuaso'ugi
Romanization:jûasôgi
1060 one novemdecillion
Hiragana:(i)(ti)(na)(yu)(ta)
Phonemes:itina'yuta
Romanization:ichinayuta
1063 one vigintillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(na)(yu)(ta)
Phonemes:seNna'yuta
Romanization:sennayuta
1066 one unvigintillion
Hiragana:(hi)(small ya)(ku)(hu)(ka)(si)(gi)
Phonemes:hyakuhuka'sigi
Romanization:hyakufukashigi
1069 one duovigintillion
Hiragana:(zi)(small yu)(u)(mu)(ri)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:zyuumuryou
Romanization:jûmuryô
1072 one trevigintillion
Hiragana:(i)(ti)(ta)(i)(su)(u)
Phonemes:ititaisu'u
Romanization:ichitaisû
1075 one quattuorvigintillion
Hiragana:(se)(n)(ta)(i)(su)(u)
Phonemes:seNtaisu'u
Romanization:sentaisû



Go to the previous page
Go to the next page
Return to the index

Copyright(C) TAKASUGI Shinji (ts@sf.airnet.ne.jp)