Zero, Negative Numbers, Fractions and Decimal Points

Zero

The Kanji for zero is 零「れい」.It can also be written using the Arabic number 0 and pronounced as ゼロ or as 〇「まる」.

Negative Numbers

To indicate a number is negative, simply say マイナス before the number

• -5 is pronounce 「マイナス・ご」

Because the negative sign (-) looks the same as the Kanji for 一「いち」, it is only used with Arabic numbers. Negative numbers are rarely written using Kanji in horizontal script, when written in vertical script it is usually just preceeded by the word マイナス.

Fractions

To express fractions, we use the Kanji 分 which means parts.

• 1/2 is pronounced as 二分の一「に・ぶん・の・いち」, which literally translates to one of two parts.
• 1/3 is pronounced as 三分の一「さん・ぶん・の・いち」, one of three parts.
• 2/3 is pronounced as 三分の二「さん・ぶん・の・に」, two of three parts.

Numbers with Decimal Points

The decimal point in a number is pronounced using the same pronuncation as the Kanji 点, which means a dot or point. The numbers after the decimal point are each pronounced as individual single-digit numbers.

• 1.5 is pronounced as 「いち・てん・ご」
• 30.2 is pronounced as 「さん・じゅう・てん・に」
• 3.145 is pronounced as 「さん・てん・いち・よん・ご」

For decimal numbers between 0 and 1, the preceeding zero is always pronounced as 「れい」, zeros after the decimal point may be pronounced as 「れい」「ゼロ」or「まる」.

• 0.105 is pronounced as 「れい・てん・いち・ゼロ・ご」