ゼロ
zero[d͡ze̞ɾo̞]
The English phrase "number zero" is expressed in Japanese as ゼロ.
ゼロ is used to refer to the number zero.
Which one should you use?
While ゼロ is the most common way to say zero in daily life, 零 (rei) is a more formal or mathematical term used in specific contexts like 'zero degrees' or 'zero gravity'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is zero.
Did you know?
- In certain contexts like sports scores or specific timekeeping, Japanese speakers may use the word まる (maru), which literally means 'circle'.
- The kanji 零 originally referred to rain or falling droplets, which is why it was chosen to represent the concept of 'nothing' or 'zero'.
- While ゼロ is a loanword, the native Japanese counting system does not have a traditional single word for 'zero' in the same way it has words for one through ten.
Examples in context
- 気温はゼロ度です。Kion wa zero do desu.The temperature is zero degrees.
- スコアはゼロでした。Sukoa wa zero deshita.The score was zero.
- ゼロから始めましょう。Zero kara hajimemashou.Let's start from zero.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are checking the score of a game.
- 結衣 Yui今の点数はどうだった？Ima no tensu wa dou datta?What was the score just now?
- 健太 Kentaゼロだったよ。Zero datta yo.It was zero.
- 結衣 Yui全然点が入らなかったね。Zenzen ten ga hairanakatta ne.No points were scored at all, huh.
- 健太 Kenta次はもっと頑張ろう。Tsugi wa motto ganbarou.Let's do better next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ゼロ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
