How Do You Say Big Japanese Numbers ?
Learn How To Count Zeros In Japanese
Back in 2017, on the free Japonin Japanese lesson blogs written by out teachers, one of the teachers at that time wrote about large numbers in Japanese.
The topic was a fascinating look into the depth of the Japanese language, so now, 8 years later, I felt it was a good time to do a quick follow up and expand on this interesting blog by returning to the topic.
The Japanese language is a truly interesting subject of study, with some essential parts that are different from English and other languages.
In the Beginner 1 / Introductory classes here at Japonin, you can learn the basics of Japanese numbers and counters.
Here are the basics of Japanese counting below:
- 一 (いち, ichi) = 1
- 十 (じゅう, juu) = 10
- 百 (ひゃく, hyaku) = 100
- 千 (せん, sen) = 1,000
- 万 (まん, man) = 10,000
After this point, things start to get interesting.
Unlike the Western system, which adds every three zeros (thousand, million, billion...), the Japanese number system takes a four-digit counting method.
If you live in Japan, then the most common units of counting will be Man (万) , Oku (億) and sometimes, you might come across Chou (兆), if you read or listen to Japanese financial news.
The Art of Japanese Numbers
Japanese large numbers are fascinating - not just with the math, but the language.
Whereas Western terms like “quadrillion” sound scientific and cold, Japanese names like “恒河沙” (literally "the sand grains of the Ganges River") or “不可思議” (“inconceivable”) evoke poetry, philosophy, and even spirituality.
These aren’t just big numbers — they’re expressions of magnitude beyond comprehension.
Why Is It Important To Learn These Japanese Numbers?
Admittedly, you may never need to use “那由他” or “阿僧祇” in your daily shopping trip to a Japanese convenience store, they can be fun to learn - and you can find use for them in:
- Buddhist texts
- Anime and manga (look out for villains with planet-shattering power levels)
- Trivia contests and pub quizzes
- Science fiction
- Nerdy conversations with your Japanese friends
And let’s be honest: it’s just cool to say “muryoutaisuu.”
The Japanese number system isn’t just practical — it’s full of depth, tradition, and a touch of artistry.
If you’ve mastered いち、じゅう、ひゃく — maybe it’s time to take on the big figures.
Who knows, someday you might need to count to one hundred quintillion... in Japanese.
How To Say Big English Numbers like Trillion and Quintillion in Japanese?
Do these numbers have equivalents in Japanese?
Can you say some large English numbers using an equivalent Japanese word? Yes,, but because the Japanese system counts in factors of 4 zeros and the English system counts in factors of 3 zeros, the exact matching of numbers to phrases are tricky. Check out this table to see the equivalent scale between English numbers and Japanese numbers.
| English Name | Kanji | Reading | Value | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 一 | ichi | 10⁰ | 1 | |
| Ten | 十 | juu | 10¹ | 10 | |
| Hundred | 百 | hyaku | 10² | 100 | |
| Thousand | 千 | sen | 10³ | 1,000 | Base unit for thousands |
| Ten Thousand | 万 | man | 10⁴ | 10,000 | Key unit in Japanese numbering |
| Hundred Thousand | 十万 | juuman | 10⁵ | 100,000 | 10 × 万 |
| Million | 百万 | hyakuman | 10⁶ | 1,000,000 | 100 × 万 |
| Ten Million | 一千万 | issenman | 10⁷ | 10,000,000 | 1,000 × 万 |
| Hundred Million | 億 | oku | 10⁸ | 100,000,000 | 10,000 × 万 |
| Billion | 十億 | juuoku | 10⁹ | 1,000,000,000 | 10 × 億 |
| Ten Billion | 百億 | hyakuoku | 10¹⁰ | 10,000,000,000 | 100 × 億 |
| Hundred Billion | 千億 | sen'oku | 10¹¹ | 100,000,000,000 | 1,000 × 億 |
| Trillion | 兆 | chou | 10¹² | 1,000,000,000,000 | 10,000 × 億 |
| Quadrillion | 京 | kei | 10¹⁶ | 10,000,000,000,000,000 | 10,000 × 兆 |
| Quintillion | 垓 | gai / kai | 10¹⁸ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 10,000 × 京 |
| Sextillion | 秭 | jo | 10²¹ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 10,000 × 垓 |
| Septillion | 穣 / 溝 | jou / kou | 10²⁴ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 10,000 × 秭 |
| Octillion | 澗 | kan | 10²⁷ | 10^27 | Very large, rarely used |
| Nonillion | 正 | sei | 10³⁰ | 10^30 | |
| Decillion | 載 | sai | 10³³ | 10^33 | |
| Vigintillion | 不可思議 | fukashigi | 10⁶³ | 10^63 | "Inconceivable" – Buddhist origin |
| Centillion (US) | 無量大数 | muryoutaisuu | 10³⁰³ | 10^303 | "Immeasurable number" – Buddhist term |
This article was written by Moses from the Japonin Support Team.
If you have any questions about learning Japanese or want help choosing the right class, feel free to reach out to us at contact support. We're always happy to help!
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