1.
twenty thousand; 20,000
The number 20,000, expressed as 二 (two) × 万 (10,000) in the Japanese numbering system. A common round figure in everyday contexts — mid-range yen amounts, attendance figures, and so on.
二万円。
Twenty thousand yen.
二万 is the number 20,000. In the Japanese number system, it is formed as 二 (2) × 万 (10,000).
Japanese number system
Japanese groups large numbers in units of 10,000 (万), not 1,000 as in English. For twenties of thousands:
Common expressions
- 二万円: twenty thousand yen (roughly the price of a mid-range jacket or a nice dinner for two)
- 二万人: twenty thousand people
- 二万部: twenty thousand copies (of a book, magazine)
- 二万円札: (colloquially) twenty-thousand-yen note — note: there is no such bill; the highest is 一万円
Learner tip
二万円 is roughly the threshold between "moderately expensive" and "noticeably expensive" in everyday Japanese consumer contexts (a nice meal, a mid-range clothing item, a budget-level appliance).