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For example, when JAXA launches a rocket, or people count the seconds to the New Year, do they use し or よん to count 4? do they use しち or なな to count 7?

Axioplase
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Louis Waweru
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  • The rocket launch was a nice idea; how about a link to a video of someone doing repetitions of an exercise? – Ned Reif Feb 02 '19 at 17:06

1 Answers1

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Usually when you count, you use よん for '4' and なな for '7'. That applies to when you count down.

じゅう　きゅう　はち　なな　ろく　ご　よん　さん　に　いち

However, in some situations, pronouncing a certain sequence of numbers became so frequent end became a fixed expression. In that case, '4' and '7' may be pronounced し and しち, respectively. That includes a situation of counting up:

いち　に　さん　し　ご　ろく　しち　はち　きゅう　じゅう

Louis Waweru
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    I wonder why you changed the wording from "so frequent that ..." to "end" (I think you meant "and"). The former sounds much more natural to me. Anyway I rolled back my edit and I'll leave it to you to make any changes if necessary. – Lukman Aug 01 '11 at 02:01
  • @Lukman Thanks. I prefer your previous edit. My edit was a typo. I meant to improve it grammatically. –  Aug 01 '11 at 02:10
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    +1 Because I had never noticed before that 4 and 7 are commonly said differently depending on whether counting down or up. Now that I think of it, though, that seems to be true. – Questioner Aug 01 '11 at 03:25
  • @sawa: Considering your answer, was I wrong or not here? [How to choose between “よん” (yon) vs “し” (shi) for “四” (4) and “しち” (shichi) vs “なな” (nana) for “七” (7)?](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/328/how-to-choose-between-yon-vs-shi-for-4-and-shichi-vs/336#336). – Alenanno Aug 05 '11 at 10:51