百

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. これは100円です。▶ —
   This is 100 yen.
2. 彼の年齢は百歳近い。▶ —
   His age is close to 100.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Hyaku (百) = 100. Watch the rendaku changes in 100–900: hyaku, nihyaku (200), sanbyaku (300, with 200/3-prefix shift), yonhyaku, gohyaku, roppyaku (600, geminate), nanahyaku, happyaku (800, geminate), kyuuhyaku. 300 / 600 / 800 are pronunciation traps. Cluster: hyakuen shoppu (100-yen stores like DAISO), hyakkaten (department store), Hyakunin Isshu (100 Poets, classical waka anthology, basis of karuta card game). Hyaku-sai (100 years old, longevity) is a Japanese celebration milestone — paired with 99 hakuju (white longevity), 100 hyakuju. Other milestones: 60 kanreki, 70 koki, 77 kiju, 88 beiju. Japan has the world's highest centenarian count — over 90,000 (2023).

Quick check

1. Natural Japanese reading of 600?

   • Roppyaku — geminate pp
   • Rokuhyaku — no change, unnatural
   • Rokubyaku — b shift
   • Rokuppyaku