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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "forty" in Japanese?
四十
yonjū
In Japanese, "forty" is 四十 (yonjū).
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Pronunciation
四十 is written using kanji. Romanised as yonjū, it sounds roughly like "yoh-n-joo" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
四十 combines four (四) with ten (十) to express 4 x 10. The kanji 四 is used in compounds despite potential taboo associations.
Example sentence
店に商品が四十個あります。
Mise ni shouhin ga yonjū ko arimasu.
The shop has forty items.
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How to remember 四十
Four (四) x ten (十) = forty; the pattern applies to all decades.
Related words
- difficult 難しい muzukashii
- seventy-seven 七十七 nanajūnana
- thirty-four 三十四 sanjūyon
- yellow 黄色 kīro
- sick 病気の byouki no
- twenty-eight 二十八 nijūhachi
- twenty-two 二十二 nijūni
- light 軽い karui
- sixty 六十 rokujū
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Questions about 四十
How do you pronounce 四十?
四十 is romanised as yonjū. Say it roughly like "yoh-n-joo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 四十 formal or casual?
四十 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 四十 written in Japanese?
四十 is written using kanji. 四十 combines four (四) with ten (十) to express 4 x 10.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"Forty" in other languages
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