In this lesson we introduce the counter 万 for counting ten thousand. A peculiar feature of the Japanese number system is that beyond 10,000, numbers are counted in units of 10,000. There is no specific counter for million. Therefore, to say one million you would say 百万, a hundred ten thousands. Using 万 like this, you can count up to tens of millions. From hundred million onward another counter is used, which you will learn later.
Unlike with 千, there are no changes in pronunciation when counting with 万, just as with all other counters starting with an m sound.
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| ten thousand | 一万ichiman |
| twenty thousand | 二万niman |
| thirty thousand | 三万sanman |
| forty thousand | 四万yonman |
| fifty thousand | 五万goman |
| sixty thousand | 六万rokuman |
| seventy thousand | 七万nanaman |
| eighty thousand | 八万hachiman |
| ninety thousand | 九万kyuuman |
| hundred thousand | 十万juuman |
| million | 百万hyakuman |
| ten million | 一千万issenman |
