Japanese Lesson – learning Kanji 005

Hello! Hello!

I hope you are doing well. Here is our fifth lesson in the Learning Kanji series. This time you will see (and learn): 八九十百円. Let’s go!

If you missed the previous lessons, here they are:

八

  • Strokes: 2
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ハチ
    • kunyomi:
      • や
      • やつ
      • やっつ
      • よう
    • jukujikun:
      • 八百屋（やおや）greengrocer
      • 八百長（やおちょう）match fixing, put-up job
  •  Meaning(s):
    • eight, eight radical (n°8)

Examples:

  • 八 (ハチ) as the number eight
    • 一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八 (いち・に・さん・よん・ご・ろく・なな・はち)
    • / one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight /
    • / one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight /
    • 八月 に おてんき は とても あつい です。(はち・がつ)
    • / August (8th month) / {moment} / weather / {topic} / very, really / hot / to be /
    • / In August the weather is really hot. /
  • 八 (や) as the number eight:
    • 八おや に にんじん と トマト を かいました。
    • / greengrocer / {indirect object} / carots / and / tomatoes / {object} / bought /
    • / (I) bought carrots and tomatoes from the greengrocer. /
    • Note: At the greengrocer you can buy a large number (800) of things.
  • 八 (やつ) as the number eight:
    • オレ に 八つあたり する な よ。
    • / me (male) / {direction} / take out one’s anger on​ / to do / not / {affirmation} /
    • / Don’t take it out on me! /
    • Note: When yo utake out your anger, you hit in the eight cardinal directions.
    • お八つ に チョコレートケーキ を たべた。
    • / snack / {moment } / chocolate cake / {object} / ate /
    • / (I) ate a chocolate cake for snack time. /
  • 八つ (やっつ) as  eight things
    • 八かくけい は 八 の つの の ある かたち です。(はっ・やっつ)
    • / octagon / {topic} / height / {relation} / coreners / {relation} / to exist / shape / to be /
    • / An octogon is a shape with 8 corners. /
  • 八 (よう) as  the number eight
    • 一せん 七ひゃく 八じゅう 六 年 八月 八日: ジャック・バルマ と ミッシェル・ガブリエル・バッカール が モンブラン はつ とうしょう に せいこ。(いっ・なな・はち・がつ・よう・か)
    • / one thounsand / seven hundred / eighty / six / year / August (8th month) / eighth (8th day of the month / : / Jaques Balmat / and / Michel Gabriel Paccard / {focus} / Mont Blanc / first / climbing to the summit / {direction} / success /
    • / The 8th of August, 1786: JacquesBlamat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard succeeded in climbing to the summit of Mont Blanc. /

九

  • Strokes: 2
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • キュウ
      • ク
    • kunyomi:
      • ここの
      • ここのつ
  • Meaning(s):
    • nine, nine radical (n°9)

Examples:

  • 九 (きゅう) as the number nine:
    • 一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九 (いち・に・さん・よん・ご・ろく・なな・はち・きゅう)
    • / one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine /
    • / one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine /
    • らい年、九しゅうにいきます。(年・きゅう)
    • / Next year / Kyuushuu / {destination} / to go /
    • / (I) will go to Kyuushuu next year. /
  • 九 (く) as the number nine:
    • 九月 は あき が はじまります。(く・がつ)
    • / September (9th month) / {topic} / Fall / {focus} / begin /
    • / Fall begins in September. /
  • 九 (ここの) as the number nine
    • 九ひゃく 九じゅう 九 年 九月 九日: ちょうほがん 年らい が はつれい される。(きゅう・きゅう・きゅう・ねん・く・がつ・ここの・か・ねん)
    • / nine hundreds / ninety / nine / year / September / nineth (9th day of the month) / : / Chouhogan / years /  {focus} / proclamation / to be (honorific) /
    • / The 9th of September 999: Proclamation of the Chouhogan period. /

十

  • Strokes: 2
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ジュウ
      • ジッ
      • ジュッ
    • kunyomi:
      • とお
      • と
    • jukujikun:
      • 十重二十重（とえはたえ）multitude
      • 二十・二十歳（はたち）20 years old
      • 二十日（はつか）The 20th (day of the month)
  • Meaning(s):
    • ten

Examples:

  • 十 (じゅう) as the number ten:
    • まい日、十 キロメートル はしてます。(じゅう)
    • / everyday / ten / kilometer / to run /
    • / Everyday, (I) run 10 kilometers. /
    • 十月 は 木 の はっぱ は すこし ずつ おちてはじまります。(じゅう)
    • / October (10th month) / {topic} / tree / {relation} / leaves / {topic} / little / apiece, each / to  be falling down / to start /
    • / In October, the tree leaves start to fall one by one. /
    • 五十おん は しています か。(ご・じゅう)
    • / gojuuon (fifty sounds) / {topic} / to be know / {question} /
    • / (Do you) know the Gojuuon? /

Note: The 五十音 (ごじゅうおん) is the Japanese name for the kana syllabary, as in the past it was composed of 51 sounds.

  • 十 (とお) as the number ten:
    • 十日 に あいましょう。
    • / tenth (10th day of the month) / {moment} / let’s meet /
    • / Let’s meet on on the 10th. /
    • それ は ちょっと… 二十日 は どう です か。
    • / this / {topic} / somewhat / … / twentieth (20th day of the month) / {topic} / how / to be / {question} /
    • / This is somewhat… What about the 20th? /

すすめ！(Continue!)

百

  • Strokes: 6
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ヒャク (ひゃっ when followed by a syllable in k-)
    • jukujikun:
      • 八百屋（やおや）greengrocer
      • 八百長（やおちょう）match fixing, put-up job
  • Meaning(s):
    • hundred

Examples:

  • 百 (ひゃく) as hundreds
    • コンサート に は 五百 人 ぐらい ありました。
    • / concert / {location} / {topic} / five hundred / persons / about, approximately / was /
    • / There was around 500 people at the concert. /
    • 百かじてんをもっていますか。 (ひゃっ)
    • / Encyclopedia / {object} / being possesed / {question} /
    • / Do you possess an encyclopedia? /
    • 「三百、六百、八百」の よみかた は ちょっと むずかしい です ね。(さん・びゃく・ろっ・ぴゃくはっ・ぴゃく)
    • / ” / three hundred / six hundred / eight hundred / ” / {realtion} / reading / {topic} / somewhat, rather / complex / to be / {ask for assent} /
    • / The reading fo “three hundred, six hundred and eight hundred” are rather complex, isn’t it? /

円

  • Strokes: 4
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • エン
    • kunyomi:
      • まる (rare)
  • Meaning(s):
    • yen (¥)
    • circle, round

Examples:

  • 円 (えん) as a currency:
    • この 本 は 六百 円 です。(ほん・ろっ・ぴゃく・えん)
    • / this / book / {topic} / six hundred / yen / to be /
    • / This book is six hundred yens. /
  • 円 (えん) as a round/circularshape:
    • だ円 を かいて ください。(えん)
    • / ellipse / {object} / to draw / please /
    • / Draw an ellipse, please. /
  • 円 (えん) as expressing the perfection of the circle:
    • ストライク は 円まん に かいけつ した。(えん)
    • / strike / {topic} / perfection, peace / {manner} / settlement / did /
    • / The strike was settled amicably. /
  • 円 (まるい) as a circle, a round shape:
    • 百円 だま は 円い です。(ひゃく・えん・まる)
    • / hundred / yen / coin / {topic} / round / to be /
    • / The one hundred yen coins are round. /

And why do we pronounce Japanese currency yen, and not en you may ask. In fact, the pronunciation of the character え evolved along time. In the past is was closer to a ye (and is still in certain Japanese areas).

Note: As indicated, it is quite rare to find 円 read as まる as the kanji 丸 is preferred for this reading.

That makes 22 kanji. Great! And now you have seen numbers from 1 to 9, and seen how to build tenth and hundreds. You can have a look here if tyou want to know more on how numbers are build in Japanese.

またね!

Stéphane

Follow us:
Share this:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *