零(れい)

れい
number
zero
1. zero
The number zero. Used in formal contexts such as phone numbers, addresses, and mathematics.
零(れい)度(ど)です。
It's zero degrees.
外(そと)は零(れい)度(ど)です。
It's zero degrees outside.
零(れい)点(てん)五(ご)は半分(はんぶん)と同(おな)じです。
0.5 is the same as half.
Decimal numbers
電話番号(でんわばんごう)は零(れい)三(さん)から始(はじ)まります。
The phone number starts with 03.
今日(きょう)は零(れい)度(ど)でした。外(そと)はとても寒(さむ)かったです。水(みず)も凍(こお)りました。
Today was zero degrees. It was very cold outside. Even the water froze.

零(れい) is the formal Japanese word for the number zero.

ALTERNATIVE FORMS:

  • 零(れい): formal (phone numbers, addresses, math)
  • ゼロ: casual (from English 'zero')
  • 〇(まる): written zero, read as 'maru'

COMMON USES:

  • 零(れい)度(ど): zero degrees
  • 零(れい)点(てん): decimal point (e.g., 零(れい)点(てん)五(ご) = 0.5)
  • 零(れい)時(じ): midnight (formal for 0:00)

RELATED EXPRESSIONS:

  • 零(れい)下(か): below zero
  • ゼロから始(はじ)める: to start from zero/scratch
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:20 · Revised 2026.2.21 11:27
00500/00983_rei