As noted above, yon (4) and nana (7) are preferred to shi and shichi. ... The numbers 4 and 9 are considered unlucky in Japanese: 4, pronounced shi, is a homophone for death (死); 9, when pronounced ku, is a homophone for suffering (苦).
Why are there 2 ways to say 4 in Japanese?
The simple reason is that some numbers are derived from the native Japanese pronunciation, known as kunyomi . The other numbers’ pronunciations are drawn from the imported, ancient Chinese readings of kanji, known as onyomi. In the old days, Japanese only had, one, maybe two, ways of saying each number.
How do you say 4 in Japanese?
Four (4) is 四 (shi, pronounced “shee”) . Because this word sounds like the Japanese word for death, the alternate pronunciation yon is also used – especially when talking about people.
Is 7 in Japanese Nana or Shichi?
| Hiragana English Phonetics | しち / なな seven shichi / nana | はち eight hachi | きゅう/く nine kyu / ku | じゅう ten juu |
|---|
Why is Shi pronounced Yon?
However this character, 死, can also be pronounced shi, and it means death , which is VERY different, so because shi can mean death or four, yon is more commonly used when referring to people, or characteristics of people, such as age, or number of people because superstition around death.
What is the old name of Tokyo?
The history of the city of Tokyo stretches back some 400 years. Originally named Edo , the city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate here in 1603.
How do Japanese count?
| Nr. Sino-Japanese reading Kanji | 1 いち (ichi) 一つ | 2 に (ni) 二つ | 3 さん (san) 三つ | 4 し、よん (shi, yon) 四つ |
|---|
What is Dakuon in Japanese?
Dakuon 【濁音】
Dakuon literally means turbid or murky sound . It is the voiced sound of か [ka], さ [sa], た [ta] and は [ha]-row syllables. Dakuon is indicated with two small dots. Pronunciation of じ and ぢ, ず and づ are the same. You can learn dakuon letters at Hiragana Course: Part 11.
What is Nana in Japanese?
The word “Nana” in Japanese means “seven” when written with hiragana. It can be spelled using different characters, a whole variety of them meaning many things, but it first and foremost means “seven”.
How do you write 5 in kanji?
- kanji: 五
- hiragana: ご
What does 5 mean in Japanese?
5. ご (go) 五 いつつ ( itsutsu ) 五つ
What is Sichi in Japanese?
When is a one not a one? When it’s January. So why does Japanese have multiple words for the same number? It’s partly to do with superstition – “shi” sounds like the Japanese word for death and “ku” can mean suffering; “shichi” can also mean “place of death” . But actually, most languages have multiple words for numbers ...
What was the old name for Japan?
Before Nihon came into official use, Japan was known as Wa (倭) or Wakoku (倭国) .
