The number 4 in Japanese can be yon or shi. The number 7 can be nana or shichi. If you’ve tried memorizing Japanese numbers and wondered why there are two readings for the same number — this guide finally explains the rule. Hint: it depends on what you’re counting.
| Number | Reading 1 | Reading 2 | Which to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | よん (yon) | し (shi) | yon: most general uses; shi: some fixed compounds |
| 7 | なな (nana) | しち (shichi) | nana: most modern uses; shichi: time, traditional |
| 9 | きゅう (kyuu) | く (ku) | kyuu: general; ku: some compounds and poetry |
Why Are There Two Readings?
Yuka日本語には「和語（やまとことば）」と「漢語（かんご）」の2つの数え方があるの。よん・なな・ここのつは和語。し・しち・くは漢語。どちらも正しいけど、文脈によって使い分けるよ！
(Japanese has two counting systems: native Japanese (wayogo) — yon, nana, kokonotsu; and Sino-Japanese (kango) — shi, shichi, ku. Both are correct, but context determines which to use!)
4 — よん vs し
| Situation | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General counting / modern | よん (yon) | よん（4）つ、4冊（よんさつ） |
| Before certain counters | よん or し | 4分（よんぷん or しふん） |
| Death-related (cultural avoidance) | よん preferred | し = sounds like 死 (death) — hospitals avoid |
| Fixed vocabulary | し (shi) | 4月（しがつ）April; 四角（しかく）square |
| Phone numbers, addresses | よん preferred | 4丁目（よんちょうめ） |
| Counters: floors | よん (modern) | 4階（よんかい） |
| Traditional music/arts | し may appear | 四季（しき）four seasons |
Yuka「し」が死（death）と同じ音なので、病院や縁起の悪い場面では「よん」を使う文化がある。だから病院では部屋番号に4号室がない場合も！この文化的背景も知っておこう。
(し sounds like 死 (death), so Japanese people often prefer よん to avoid bad luck — especially in hospitals, which sometimes have no Room 4. This cultural context is important to know!)
7 — なな vs しち
| Situation | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General counting / modern | なな (nana) | なな（7）つ |
| Telling the time (7 o’clock) | しち (shichi) OR なな | 7時（しちじ or ななじ） |
| 7th month (July) | しち (shichi) | 7月（しちがつ）July |
| Counter: people | しち or なな | 7人（しちにん or ななにん） |
| Fixed vocabulary | しち (shichi) | 七夕（たなばた）Star Festival; 七五三（しちごさん） |
| Phone numbers (avoiding confusion) | なな preferred | なな — しち can sound like 1 (いち) |
Rei電話番号を言うとき「しち」は「いち」と聞き間違えられやすいから「なな」が安全。でも時刻を言うときは「しちじ」の方が自然な場面もある。どちらも正しいからゆっくり慣れていこう！
(When giving phone numbers, なな is safer than しち because しち can be misheard as いち (1). But for telling time, しちじ feels natural too. Both are correct — get comfortable with context over time!)
9 — きゅう vs く
| Situation | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General counting | きゅう (kyuu) | 9つ、9冊（きゅうさつ） |
| Fixed vocabulary | く (ku) | 九州（きゅうしゅう）Kyushu; 九（く）段 Kudanshita |
| 9th month (September) | く (ku) | 9月（くがつ） |
| Time-related | きゅう usually | 9時（くじ or きゅうじ） |
Quick Reference Table
| Counter type | 4 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Months (〜月) | 4月 = しがつ | 7月 = しちがつ |
| Hours (〜時) | 4時 = よじ | 7時 = しちじ (or ななじ) |
| Minutes (〜分) | 4分 = よんぷん / しふん | 7分 = ななふん / しちふん |
| People (〜人) | 4人 = よにん | 7人 = しちにん / ななにん |
| Books (〜冊) | 4冊 = よんさつ | 7冊 = ななさつ |
| Floors (〜階) | 4階 = よんかい | 7階 = ななかい |
Quick Quiz
1. How do you say ‘July’ in Japanese?
→ 7月（しちがつ）
2. When giving your phone number aloud, which reading for 7 is safer?
→ なな — しち can be misheard as いち (1).
3. Why do some buildings in Japan skip the number 4 for floors or rooms?
→ し sounds like 死 (death) — a cultural taboo avoidance.
Have you ever gotten confused by these number readings? Share your story in the comments! 💬
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