Japanese has a verb 「量る」(はかる) meaning "to measure." But here's the thing — Japanese doesn't use just one kanji for はかる. There's 量る for weight, 測る for length and temperature, and 計る for time. A single concept of "measuring" splits into three different kanji.
This precision tells you a lot about how Japanese treats measurement. In this article, we'll cover 20 kanji related to dimensions, quantities, and calculations — the final piece of the numbers series puzzle.
Core Kanji Table
Physical Dimensions
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 量 | リョウ (ryō) | はか (haka) | measure, quantity | 量る (はかる, to measure), 分量 (ぶんりょう, amount) | 体重を量る — to weigh oneself |
| 重 | ジュウ (jū)・チョウ (chō) | おも (omo)・かさ (kasa)・え (e) | heavy, important | 重い (おもい, heavy), 重要 (じゅうよう, important) | この荷物は重い — this luggage is heavy |
| 長 | チョウ (chō) | なが (naga) | long | 長い (ながい, long), 長さ (ながさ, length) | 髪が長い — long hair |
| 高 | コウ (kō) | たか (taka) | high, expensive | 高い (たかい, high/expensive), 最高 (さいこう, the best) | 富士山は高い — Mt. Fuji is tall |
| 深 | シン (shin) | ふか (fuka) | deep | 深い (ふかい, deep), 深夜 (しんや, late at night) | 海が深い — the sea is deep |
| 厚 | コウ (kō) | あつ (atsu) | thick | 厚い (あつい, thick), 厚さ (あつさ, thickness) | 厚い本 — a thick book |
| 広 | コウ (kō) | ひろ (hiro) | wide, spacious | 広い (ひろい, spacious), 広場 (ひろば, plaza) | 公園が広い — the park is spacious |
Quantity
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 多 | タ (ta) | おお (ō) | many, much | 多い (おおい, many), 多分 (たぶん, probably) | 人が多い — there are many people |
| 少 | ショウ (shō) | すく (suku)・すこ (suko) | few, little | 少ない (すくない, few), 少し (すこし, a little) | 時間が少ない — there's little time |
| 全 | ゼン (zen) | まった (matta)・すべ (sube) | all, entire | 全部 (ぜんぶ, everything), 全く (まったく, completely) | 全部食べた — I ate everything |
| 各 | カク (kaku) | おのおの (onoono) | each | 各地 (かくち, various places), 各自 (かくじ, each person) | 各自で準備する — each person prepares on their own |
| 毎 | マイ (mai) | ごと (goto) | every | 毎日 (まいにち, every day), 毎回 (まいかい, every time) | 毎朝走る — I run every morning |
Math & Calculation
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 倍 | バイ (bai) | — | times (multiple) | 二倍 (にばい, double), 倍増 (ばいぞう, doubling) | 値段が二倍になった — the price doubled |
| 率 | リツ (ritsu)・ソツ (sotsu) | ひき (hiki) | rate, ratio | 確率 (かくりつ, probability), 効率 (こうりつ, efficiency) | 合格率は 80% — the pass rate is 80% |
| 割 | カツ (katsu) | わ (wa) | divide, proportion | 割合 (わりあい, ratio), 一割 (いちわり, 10%) | 三割引き — 30% off |
| 算 | サン (san) | — | calculate | 計算 (けいさん, calculation), 算数 (さんすう, arithmetic) | 算数が好き — I like arithmetic |
| 計 | ケイ (kei) | はか (haka) | measure, plan | 時計 (とけい, clock), 合計 (ごうけい, total) | 合計はいくらですか — what's the total? |
| 測 | ソク (soku) | はか (haka) | measure, survey | 測る (はかる, to measure), 測定 (そくてい, measurement) | 温度を測る — to measure the temperature |
| 積 | セキ (seki) | つ (tsu) | accumulate, area | 面積 (めんせき, area), 積む (つむ, to pile up) | 面積が大きい — the area is large |
| 総 | ソウ (sō) | — | total, overall | 総合 (そうごう, comprehensive), 総数 (そうすう, total number) | 総合的に判断する — to judge comprehensively |
割 — Japan's Unique Percentage System
割 (わり) is a distinctly Japanese unit of measurement where one 割 = 10%. You'll encounter this system constantly in daily life:
Discounts
Japanese discounts use 割引 (わりびき), and the logic works opposite to English "percent off" — well, actually it's the same as English, but opposite to how Chinese expresses discounts:
| Japanese | Meaning | What You Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 一割引き | 10% off | 90% of the price |
| 三割引き | 30% off | 70% of the price |
| 半額 | half price | 50% of the price |
So when you see 三割引き on a sale sign, you're getting 30% off. Straightforward once you know that 割 = 10%.
Baseball Batting Averages
Japanese baseball expresses batting averages using 割・分・厘 (わり・ぶ・りん):
- 三割 (さんわり) = .300
- 三割二分五厘 (さんわりにぶごりん) = .325
If Shohei Ohtani's batting average is reported as 三割一分, that's .310 — you'll see this format in Japanese baseball news every day.
Everyday Expressions
- 五分五分 (ごぶごぶ) = fifty-fifty, even odds
- 腹八分目 (はらはちぶんめ) = eating until 80% full (a Japanese health proverb)
Adjective Pairs: The World of Opposites
A distinctive feature of these kanji is how many form antonym pairs as adjectives.
| Adjective | Reading | Meaning | Antonym | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 長い | ながい | long | 短い | みじかい | short |
| 高い | たかい | high/tall | 低い | ひくい | low/short |
| 多い | おおい | many | 少ない | すくない | few |
| 深い | ふかい | deep | 浅い | あさい | shallow |
| 厚い | あつい | thick | 薄い | うすい | thin |
| 広い | ひろい | wide/spacious | 狭い | せまい | narrow/cramped |
Watch out for a classic trap: 高い (たかい) also means "expensive," and 厚い (あつい, thick) sounds identical to 暑い (あつい, hot weather) and 熱い (あつい, hot to touch). These three あつい words are one of the most notorious pitfalls for Japanese learners.
Practice
Q1. Japanese has three kanji all read はかる, each used in different situations. When do you use 量る, 測る, and 計る?
Show answer
量る is for measuring weight (体重を量る, to weigh oneself). 測る is for measuring length, temperature, and other physical quantities (距離を測る, to measure distance). 計る is for measuring time (時間を計る, to time something). Same pronunciation, different kanji for different contexts — a hallmark of Japanese precision.
Q2. What does 三割引き mean, and how much do you actually pay?
Show answer
30% off — you pay 70% of the original price. 割引 means "discount" (literally "divide and pull away"). 三割引き = subtract three-tenths = pay seven-tenths of the original.
Q3. A Japanese baseball broadcast says a player's batting average is 三割二分五厘. What is this as a decimal?
Show answer
.325. 三割 = 0.300, 二分 = 0.020, 五厘 = 0.005, total = 0.325. The system 割・分・厘 represents the tenths, hundredths, and thousandths places respectively.
Q4. What do these three あつい words mean? 厚い, 暑い, 熱い
Show answer
厚い = thick (厚い本 = a thick book). 暑い = hot weather (今日は暑い = it's hot today). 熱い = hot to the touch (お茶が熱い = the tea is hot). All three are pronounced あつい — only context and kanji distinguish them.
Q5. What does 腹八分目 mean?
Show answer
Eat until you're 80% full. 腹 = stomach, 八分目 = the point of eight-tenths. This is a traditional Japanese health proverb advising you to stop eating before you're completely full — leave 20% room and your body will thank you.
Summary
- Physical dimension kanji (量, 重, 長, 高, 深, 厚, 広) mostly become everyday adjectives, and each has an antonym pair
- Quantity kanji (多, 少, 全, 各, 毎) are fundamental tools for describing things
- Math and calculation kanji (倍, 率, 割, 算, 計, 測, 積, 総) are essential in academic and business contexts
- 割 is Japan's unique unit of proportion (one 割 = 10%), appearing in discounts, baseball stats, and everyday expressions
- The three はかる (量る, 測る, 計る) and three あつい (厚い, 暑い, 熱い) are classic examples of Japanese homophones with different kanji
Congratulations on completing the entire numbers series! From basic numerals, dates and time, money and currency, to measurement and calculation — you now have the full picture of "numbers" in Japanese. Start looking for these kanji in your daily life, and you'll be surprised how often they appear.