Is there a methodology for forming the intuition to count in myriads?


In my native language (not Japanese), the [Sino-
Xenic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Xenic_pronunciations) word for "ten
thousand" (萬) is only used in historical contexts. In modern times, the
Western way of counting in thousands is much preferred, and thousand
separators are used. All that makes it quite difficult to intuitively discern
large numbers in Japanese, because Japanese counts in myriads instead. After
ten thousand (一万), it starts to become more difficult to immediately know what
larger numbers, like say 二百五十万, actually mean, without taking some time to
break them down.

So is there a methodology for practicing thinking in myriads in order to count
more easily in Japanese?




This answer may not be very helpful but...

I agree that large numbers are very difficult to intuitively understand when
you are used to counting in units of thousands. I still have difficulty with
it even after years of study. The only way I found that helped was to memorize
certain key numbers as reference points and drill them in English. Some of the
key numbers I use as reference points are:

> 五十万 half a million  
>  百万 one million  
>  千万 ten million  
>  一億 one hundred million  
>  十億 one billion

I committed them to memory and revised/drilled them often until I knew them
very well. When I come across a number, I calculate it using those reference
points. For example, you gave 二百五十万. In my head, I would first see the 万 and
then the 二百 and think "that is two million". Then I would add the 五十万 (half a
million) to arrive at the answer 2.5 million.

I know it's probably not a very efficient way of doing it, but when you get
used to it, you can calculate fairly quickly.

I have the most trouble with money because there is an additional mental
calculation of how much a number in yen is valued in Dollars or Euro (or
whatever other currency).




This answer may not be very helpful but...

I agree that large numbers are very difficult to intuitively understand when
you are used to counting in units of thousands. I still have difficulty with
it even after years of study. The only way I found that helped was to memorize
certain key numbers as reference points and drill them in English. Some of the
key numbers I use as reference points are:

> 五十万 half a million  
>  百万 one million  
>  千万 ten million  
>  一億 one hundred million  
>  十億 one billion

I committed them to memory and revised/drilled them often until I knew them
very well. When I come across a number, I calculate it using those reference
points. For example, you gave 二百五十万. In my head, I would first see the 万 and
then the 二百 and think "that is two million". Then I would add the 五十万 (half a
million) to arrive at the answer 2.5 million.

I know it's probably not a very efficient way of doing it, but when you get
used to it, you can calculate fairly quickly.

I have the most trouble with money because there is an additional mental
calculation of how much a number in yen is valued in Dollars or Euro (or
whatever other currency).

