500 in Japanese
500 in Other Languages
About 500 in Japanese
In Japanese, 500 is written and spoken as 五百 (gohyaku). The ordinal form — used for rankings, dates, and sequences — is 五百 (io). The native counting form is 五百 (io).
The number 500 is even. Being able to recognize and say 500 in Japanese pays off quickly — numbers like this appear in prices, schedules, addresses, and introductions.
Building fluency with numbers like 500 in Japanese pays dividends quickly. Numbers are among the first things you use in a new language — for shopping, directions, introductions, and understanding announcements.
Learning Numbers in Japanese
What makes Japanese numbers challenging
Two parallel number systems (Sino-Japanese and native Japanese) that must be used in the right contexts. Counter words (classifiers) are mandatory — different objects require different counters based on shape, size, and category. The digits 4 and 7 each have two readings (shi/yon, shichi/nana) with strong cultural preferences: shi (4) sounds like death and is avoided. Large numbers are grouped by 10,000 (man) not 1,000, requiring mental re-grouping for English speakers. Sound changes (rendaku) alter some numbers when combined with counters.
Tips for learning Japanese numbers
Learn Sino-Japanese numbers first — they cover most situations including phone numbers, prices, dates, and math. Always use yon (not shi) for 4 and nana (not shichi) for 7 in everyday counting. Master the man (10,000) unit early for large numbers. Start with the general-purpose counter -tsu for objects before learning specific counters. Practice with Japanese prices (yen amounts are always large numbers since there are no decimal coins) for excellent real-world number comprehension.