Prices, wages and phone numbers are among the first things you need in Japan. You know 1 to 100 from Course 1. Here are the big numbers, which have a few sound changes to memorise.
Hundreds and thousands
| Number | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | ひゃく | にひゃく | さんびゃく | よんひゃく | ごひゃく | ろっぴゃく | ななひゃく | はっぴゃく | きゅうひゃく |
| Listen | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ |
| Number | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 5,000 | 6,000 | 7,000 | 8,000 | 9,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | せん | にせん | さんぜん | よんせん | ごせん | ろくせん | ななせん | はっせん | きゅうせん |
| Listen | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ | ▶ |
The sound changes are 300 (sanbyaku), 600 (roppyaku), 800 (happyaku), 3,000 (sanzen) and 8,000 (hassen). Say them aloud until they feel natural.
Join them from big to small: 2,350 = にせん さんびゃく ごじゅう. 1,000 can be せん or いっせん; せん is enough.
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| にせん さんびゃく ごじゅう | nisen sanbyaku gojuu | २,३५० | 2,350 | ▶ |
| よんせん ろっぴゃく | yonsen roppyaku | ४,६०० | 4,600 | ▶ |
| きゅうせん きゅうひゃく きゅうじゅうきゅう | kyuusen kyuuhyaku kyuujuukyuu | ९,९९९ | 9,999 | ▶ |
The unit of 10,000: まん
Japanese counts in groups of 10,000 (まん). This is the biggest difference from English (thousand, million) and from Nepali (लाख, करोड). The easy way: remember 4 zeros = まん.
| Number | Reading | Nepali / English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | いちまん | ten thousand | ▶ |
| 30,000 | さんまん | thirty thousand | ▶ |
| 180,000 | じゅうはちまん | one hundred eighty thousand | ▶ |
| 1,000,000 | ひゃくまん | one million (ten lakh) | ▶ |
| 10,000,000 | いっせんまん | ten million (one crore) | ▶ |
Compare: 1 लाख = 100,000 = じゅうまん (10 x 10,000). 1 करोड = 10,000,000 = いっせんまん (1,000 x 10,000). Do this conversion with real prices until it is automatic.
Prices and wages
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いくらですか。 | ikura desu ka. | कति पर्छ? | How much is it? | ▶ |
| ひゃくごじゅうえんです。 | hyaku gojuu en desu. | सय पचास येन हो। | It is 150 yen. | ▶ |
| ぜんぶで いくらですか。 | zenbu de ikura desu ka. | जम्मा कति पर्छ? | How much is it altogether? | ▶ |
| ぜいこみ | zeikomi | कर सहित | tax included | ▶ |
| げっきゅう | gekkyuu | मासिक तलब | monthly salary | ▶ |
| じきゅう | jikyuu | घण्टाको ज्याला | hourly wage | ▶ |
| きゅうりょう | kyuuryou | तलब | pay, salary | ▶ |
| じきゅうは せんえんです。 | jikyuu wa sen en desu. | घण्टाको ज्याला हजार येन हो। | The hourly wage is 1,000 yen. (an example) | ▶ |
| げっきゅうは じゅうはちまんえんです。 | gekkyuu wa juuhachiman en desu. | मासिक तलब १,८०,००० येन हो। | The monthly salary is 180,000 yen. (an example) | ▶ |
These wage numbers are only examples to practise reading. Always read the real figure in your contract (ろうどうけいやくしょ) with someone you trust.
Phone numbers
Read each digit separately. Use ゼロ (0), よん (4), なな (7), きゅう (9). The hyphen is said の.
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ゼロ きゅう ゼロ の いち に さん よん の ご ろく なな はち | zero kyuu zero no ichi ni san yon no go roku nana hachi | ०९०-१२३४-५६७८ | 090-1234-5678 | ▶ |
| でんわばんごうは なんばんですか。 | denwa bangou wa nanban desu ka. | फोन नम्बर के हो? | What is your phone number? | ▶ |
Dialogue: paying
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली / English | Listen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | すみません。 これは いくらですか。 | sumimasen. kore wa ikura desu ka. | माफ गर्नुहोस्। यो कति पर्छ? Excuse me. How much is this? | ▶ |
| B | さんびゃく ろくじゅうえんです。 | sanbyaku rokujuu en desu. | तीन सय साठी येन। It is 360 yen. | ▶ |
| A | この かばんは？ | kono kaban wa? | यो झोला? And this bag? | ▶ |
| B | はっせん ごひゃくえんです。 | hassen gohyaku en desu. | आठ हजार पाँच सय येन। It is 8,500 yen. | ▶ |
| A | ぜんぶで いくらですか。 | zenbu de ikura desu ka. | जम्मा कति? How much altogether? | ▶ |
| B | はっせん はっぴゃく ろくじゅうえんです。 | hassen happyaku rokujuu en desu. | आठ हजार आठ सय साठी येन। 8,860 yen (8,500 + 360). | ▶ |
Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.
Check yourself
Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.
- How do you say 300?
- How do you say 600?
- How do you say 8,000?
- Read 2,350.
- How many 10,000s are in 1 lakh (100,000)?
- How do you say 1 crore (10,000,000)?
- Why must you say いち in いちまん?
- Ask "How much altogether?"
- What does ぜいこみ mean?
- How do you say the hyphen in a phone number?
Answers
Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.
- さんびゃく.
- ろっぴゃく.
- はっせん.
- にせん さんびゃく ごじゅう.
- Ten: じゅうまん.
- いっせんまん.
- まん is never said alone for 10,000: it must be いちまん.
- ぜんぶで いくらですか。
- Tax included.
- の.
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