Japanese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 2 of 12
Numbers and prices
数字と値段Sūji to nedan
Count from 0 to 100 and beyond in Japanese, ask and say prices in yen, give your phone number and use これ, それ and あれ.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Count from 0 to 100 and say prices in hundreds and thousands of yen
- Ask how much something costs and buy it
- Give your phone number
- Point to things with これ, それ and あれ
Listen
Nakamura Aya shows a book title on her phone at a small bookshop in Kyoto and orders the book, then buys a notebook. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Assistant
いらっしゃいませ。
Irasshaimase.
Hello, welcome.
Nakamura
この本をお願いします。
Kono hon o onegai shimasu.
This book, please.
Assistant
はい。千八百円です。お電話番号をお願いします。
Hai. Sen happyakuen desu. Odenwa bangō o onegai shimasu.
Certainly. It's 1,800 yen. Your phone number, please.
Nakamura
075-341-2689です。
Zero nana go no san yon ichi no ni roku hachi kyū desu.
It's 075-341-2689.
Assistant
ありがとうございます。
Arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you.
Nakamura
あ、このノートはいくらですか？
A, kono nōto wa ikura desu ka?
Oh, how much is this notebook?
Assistant
それは三百五十円です。
Sore wa sanbyaku gojūen desu.
That one is 350 yen.
Nakamura
安いですね。これもください。
Yasui desu ne. Kore mo kudasai.
That's cheap. I'll take this too, please.
Assistant
ありがとうございます。全部で二千百五十円です。
Arigatō gozaimasu. Zenbu de nisen hyaku gojūen desu.
Thank you. That's 2,150 yen altogether.
Understand
Numbers from 0 to 100
Japanese numbers are very regular. Learn 1 to 10 and you can build everything up to 99: 11 is (jūichi), “ten-one”; 20 is (nijū), “two-ten”; 45 is (yonjūgo), “four-ten-five”; 99 is (kyūjūkyū). 100 is (hyaku).
Three numbers have two readings. For 4, 7 and 9, (yon), (nana) and (kyū) are the usual ones, in prices and phone numbers too. The other readings, (shi), (shichi) and (ku), appear in a few fixed words such as clock times and months, which come later.
| Number | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 〇 | (zero) |
| 1 | 一 | (ichi) |
| 2 | 二 | (ni) |
| 3 | 三 | (san) |
| 4 | 四 | (yon), also (shi) |
| 5 | 五 | (go) |
| 6 | 六 | (roku) |
| 7 | 七 | (nana), also (shichi) |
| 8 | 八 | (hachi) |
| 9 | 九 | (kyū), also (ku) |
| 10 | 十 | (jū) |
| 11 | 十一 | (jūichi) |
| 20 | 二十 | (nijū) |
| 100 | 百 | (hyaku) |
Hundreds, thousands and yen
(hyaku) is 100 and (sen) is 1,000. Put the number in front: (nihyaku), 200; (gosen), 5,000. A few combinations change their sound, so learn them as they are in the table. Prices are the number + (en), yen: (sanbyaku gojūen), 350 yen. Only 4 yen is special: (yoen). In the romaji of this course, thousands and hundreds are written as separate words and the last part is joined to the counter: (sen happyakuen), 1,800 yen.
Ask the price with (ikura desu ka?), how much is it? (zenbu de) means “altogether”. Phone numbers are read digit by digit, with (no) for each dash: 075-341-2689 is zero nana go no san yon ichi no ni roku hachi kyū.
| Number | Reading |
|---|---|
| 200 | (nihyaku) |
| 300 | (sanbyaku) |
| 600 | (roppyaku) |
| 800 | (happyaku) |
| 1,000 | (sen) |
| 3,000 | (sanzen) |
| 8,000 | (hassen) |
| 4 yen | (yoen) |
This and that: これ, それ, あれ
Japanese has three words for “this” and “that”, depending on where the thing is. (kore) is near you, the speaker. (sore) is near the person you're talking to. (are) is far from both of you. That's why the assistant says (sore wa sanbyaku gojūen desu) about the notebook in Nakamura-san's hand.
Before a noun, use (kono), (sono) and (ano) instead: (kono hon), this book; (ano nōto), that notebook over there. To buy something, point and say (kore o kudasai), this one, please. (kudasai) means “please give me”, and (onegai shimasu) works the same way: (kono hon o onegai shimasu), this book, please. The small word (o) after the thing you want is explained in the next chapter.
| Where it is | On its own | Before a noun |
|---|---|---|
| near me | (kore), this | (kono hon), this book |
| near you | (sore), that | (sono hon), that book |
| over there | (are), that over there | (ano hon), that book over there |
| question | (dore), which one? | (dono hon), which book? |
ね: isn't it?
Adjectives such as (yasui), cheap, and (takai), expensive, go straight before (desu): (yasui desu), it's cheap. You'll meet adjectives properly in chapter 6.
(ne) at the end of a sentence turns it into a comment the other person can agree with, a bit like “isn't it?” or “right?”: (yasui desu ne), that's cheap, isn't it? Japanese speakers use it all the time to sound friendly. Staff also use it to check something: (sen happyakuen desu ne), that's 1,800 yen, right? Don't use it for new information the other person can't know yet.
- 安いですね。Yasui desu ne.That's cheap, isn't it?
- この本は高いですね。Kono hon wa takai desu ne.This book is expensive, isn't it?
More in the grammar: Demonstratives: これ, それ, あれ, どれ · Hiragana · Numbers, counters, time and dates · Sentence-ending particles: よ, ね and more
New words
- いらっしゃいませirasshaimasewelcome (said by shop staff) · Staff say it when you come in. You don't need to answer; a small nod is enough.
- このkonothis (+ noun) · (kono hon), this book
- 本honbook · ほん
- 千senthousand · せん; 3,000 is (sanzen), 8,000 is (hassen).
- 電話番号denwa bangōphone number · でんわばんごう; staff say (odenwa bangō) to be polite.
- ノートnōtonotebook · From English “note”, but it means a notebook.
- いくらikurahow much · (ikura desu ka?), how much is it?
- それsorethat (near you)
- 百hyakuhundred · ひゃく; 300 is (sanbyaku), 600 (roppyaku), 800 (happyaku).
- ～円-en… yen · えん; (sanbyaku gojūen), 350 yen
- 安いyasuicheap · やすい; (yasui desu ne), that's cheap: (ne) asks the other person to agree.
- これkorethis (near me) · (kore o kudasai), this one, please
- 全部でzenbu dealtogether, in total · ぜんぶで
- 高いtakaiexpensive · たかい; (kono hon wa takai desu), this book is expensive.
Practise
1.What does (ikura desu ka?) mean?
2.Match the numbers.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
3.Put the words in order to ask the price of this notebook.
Tap the words below in the right order.How much is this notebook?
4.The book is in the shop assistant's hands, not yours. How do you say “that book”?
5.How do you say 800 yen?
6.Put the words in order to ask for the total.
Tap the words below in the right order.How much is it altogether?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
このノートはいくらですか？
Kono nōto wa ikura desu ka?
How much is this notebook?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.