Japanese numerals

The Japanese number system is a decimal system and in its design, such as the Korean, largely a borrowing of the Chinese number words. In addition to these Sino- Japanese numerals and old Japanese numerals are used. In everyday life, Arabic numerals are used for horizontal and written to about five-digit numbers, as well as mathematics, is used.

A special feature is the use of Zähleinheitswörtern and a different wording of the numbers depending on the form of representation and depending on the counted objects in Japanese. In addition, the value system is not grouped in thousands, but in myriads, so there own number words for the numbers 10 000 and 100 000 000 (the square of 10,000 ), but not for a million or a billion.

Base numbering

In Japanese, there are two ways to write numbers: in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) or in Chinese numerals (一,二,三). The Arabic numerals are commonly used in the horizontal case, the Chinese numerals often with vertical letters and official documents.

Composite numbers

The formation of composite representations of numbers takes place, as in Chinese, multiplicative for the individual points and additive for the combination of different places. In contrast to China's empty spaces are (the digit zero ) omitted. Emerged as a multiplier to 1, this is also omitted in the rule.

From 10,000 the number names are no longer alone, but only used composite, ie for 1, 10 and 100 as ichi (一), jū (十) and hyaku (百) are spoken and written, it is from 10,000 ichiman (一 万) instead of just one, Ichioku (一 亿) instead oku only for 100,000. 000, etc. 1000 is a borderline case where both sen (千) and issen (一千) are possible. This is similar to the German, where smaller number names only "one" and "ten" are at 100 and 1000 both " hundred " and " one hundred " or " thousand " and " one thousand" are possible, but usually only for larger compositions are used for 1,000,000 as "a million ".

Because of phonological phenomena in the Japanese language as the rendaku be voiced at the unvoiced consonants, and the gemination following linguistic features arise:

Powers of ten

As in the conventional decimal number system exist in the Japanese own number names for naming large and small orders of magnitude. For large numbers (大数, taisu ), the number of name changes while in Myriadenschritten, ie four orders of magnitude, for small numbers (少数, shōsū ) in increments of ten, ie, at each change of position. The names come from large parts of the Buddhist theory of numbers and have been used in the early Middle Ages. Above all, the very great powers had different point values ​​over time; so the number names goku (极) are assigned values ​​corresponding to 1014, 1044 or 1080 in different sources. Even today, the very large number of names from 1052 values ​​are assigned, which can be by a factor of 10,000 larger than the official assignments.

The Buddhist origin is particularly evident in the recent, unusually long number names. Thus the name for the value 1052 kōgasha (恒河沙) from the Buddhist term for the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges derives, which was regarded as the epitome of the infinity of the world. The word fukashigi (不可思议) also referred to today in abbreviated form fushigi (不 思议) something peculiar, strange or mysterious. The last number word muryōtaisū (无量 大数) finally is the term for an immeasurable and innumerable large number.

The number of names for the small numbers are also little used, but are still used in certain areas even today. Thus, the hit rate of a hitter in baseball or in advertising, the discount will be shown at a number of action with these characters in the sporting field. Depending on the context, however, can lead to a shift by a factor of 10, so the name can be 2分3厘(ni - san bu - rin ) either the number 0.23 or 0.023 my. This is done by shifting the number names with the introduction of the term wari (割) for the first decimal place. For clarity, the first four numbers names are listed in use of this term in the following table:

In common fractures of the denominator, then the counter is called first:

Decimal fractions are usually with Arabic numeral and a point (pronounced th or comma ) as a decimal separator. In vertical writing, or using the additionally possible Chinese numerals, the center is used:

Japanese numerology

The numbers 4 and 9, in Japanese as unlucky numbers: 4, pronounced shi, is a homophone for " death "; 9, when pronounced ku, is a homophone for " suffering". The number 13 is also sometimes seen as an unlucky number, even if it was just taken over by Western cultures ( Friday the 13th ).

In modern Japanese, the Kun - reading is used names only for single digit number representations and day - of -month, even if, instead, in many contexts the on- reading is used. Breakthroughs made ​​by combination.

Zähleinheitswörter

Different types of objects and abstract concepts associated with each of the approximately 100 Zähleinheitswörter. It is the number specification attached and often supports reading comprehension. A correspondence in German is about sheet in " 50 sheets of paper ." The assignment of terms and Zähleinheitswörtern often depends on shape and size of an object, more rarely used but also native speakers assignments before problems. Depending on Zähleinheitswort certain figures are extremely irregular.

When counting with Zähleinheitswörtern the on- reading is almost always thus the Sino Japanese way of counting used (there are also cases in which, for example, is mixed Persons 1人,人2, 3人" hitori, futari, sannin "). If only things listed with the customer reading, so Japanese, you do not need Zähleinheitswörter. However, this is only up to the number ten.

Number of data

For number of information without Zähleinheitswort, and in combination with a few specific Zähleinheitswörter, find the old Japanese Zähleinheitswörter from "1 " to " 10 " application. Solitary they get to "9" the Okuriganaつ( tsu ).

It also ( rendaku and gemination ) held its pronunciation changes described previously.

Notation with Arabic numerals

The breakdown mehrziffriger number representations assume the Sino Japanese numerals. Be written for vertical figures often consistently Kanji used in horizontal notation usually 10,000 (万) and the multiples of the latter assume the character for 1000 (千), the role of a separator between the Latin numerals ( eisūji ).

Example: " 19800 yen " ichiman - kyūsen - happyaku En ( 1万9千円800 )

The point is with Arabic numerals sometimes used in letters as delimiters of the myriad and not the thousands which can easily lead to errors in translation.

Example: German 200 million yen equal to Japanese 2.0000.0000円