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The yon (四つ, yottsu) pronunciation has derivations in the original Japanese counting system from before contact with China, and shi was adopted from Chinese sounds. Generally speaking, you can use the one that sounds most natural, however there are certain cases where 四 (shi, four) having a similarity with 死 (shi, death) becomes an issue. I think the most obvious case of this would be with counting people, you do not want to refer to them with death.

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Q: In Japanese why is 4 pronounced shi or yon?
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What number symbol means death in Japanese culture?

4 四 as it is pronounced shi just like the japanese word for death 死 and 7 七 as it's pronounced shichi, again including shi as in death therefore those two numbers have an extra pronounciation yon (4) and nana (7)


Is yon a number in Japanese?

Yes; 四 is the Japanese for '4' and it reads both 'yon' and 'shi'. You will hear it in making bigger numbers too, example:Juu = 10 , Yon = 4Juu Yon = 14Yon Juu = 40Yon Juu Yon = 44


How do you say the word four in Japanese?

四(よん、yon). It is often written using the Arabic numeral 4, especially in conjunction with counters, as in 4人 (よにん、yonin), "four people". You could either say "yon" or "shi," though yon is more commonly used because "shi" also means death in Japanese.


How do you spell death in Japanese?

死 (kanji) , shi (romaji) , し (hiragana). That's why 4 is an unlucky number, as it is pronounced shi.


What does the Japanese jyu shi mean in English?

Jyu=10 Shi/Yon=4 jyu yon=14 ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyu, jyu jyu ichi, jyu ni, jyu san, juy yon, jyu go, jyu roku, jyu hachi, jyu kyu, ni jyu yon is used in double digits and over, as though for shi is used in the single digits. Domo arigato(thank you)Bia!(bie)


How do you say 44 in Japanese?

4 in Japanese is 四十四 [(yon jyuu yon) yohn-jooh-yohn[ which literally means 4 10 4


What does 4 mean in Japanese?

I think that what you mean is, "what is the deal with the number 4 in Japanese?"4 might be thought of as a bit like 13 in some western cultures. Its the association with death that makes 4 a bit special. The pronunciation "shi" is the same as for the character 死 meaning death. Also, because "shi" sounds a lotlike "ni" (two) there can be confusion when reciting numbers. In a countdown fora rocket launch, for example, instead of "shi" 4 is spoken as "yon". This comesfrom "the other Japanese numbers."


What is five in Japanese?

the number five is pronounced "go" while im at it 1-ichi 2-ni 3-san 4-shi (or yon because shi can mean death) 5-go 6-roku 7-shichi 8-hachi 9-kyu 10-ju


How do you spell Japanese numbers 1 to 10?

1: 一 (ichi) 2: 二 (ni) 3: 三 (san) 4: 四 (yon , shi) 5: 五 (go) 6: 六 (roku) 7: 七 (shichi , nana) 8: 八 (hachi) 9:九 (kyuu , ku) 10: 十 (juu)


Why do Japanese not like the number 4?

In Japanese culture, the number 4 is associated with death because the pronunciation of the number "shi" is similar to the word for death. This belief has resulted in the avoidance of the number in various contexts, such as room numbering in hospitals, hotels, and buildings. However, it's important to note that not all Japanese people hold superstitious views about the number 4.


What are the first 10 numbers in Japanese?

1. (ichi). 2 (ni). 3 (san). 4 (shi or yon). 5 (go). 6 (roku). 7 (hichi or nana). 8 (hachi). 9 (ku or kyu). 10 (ju).


How do you say 69 in Japanese?

kanji 六十四 hiragama ろくじゅうよん or ろくじゅうし pronounce rokujyuu yon or rokujyuu shi