In conversation can you just say "万円です" or must you say "一万円です"?


I'm pretty sure it's natural to say "百{ひゃく}円です" as a casual abbreviation of
"一百{いっぴゃく}円です" in a conversation. Same with "千{せん}円" vs. "一千{いっせん}円". This is
similar in English conversation where it is ok to say "a/uh hundred yen"
instead of "one-hundred yen".

But what about "万円です" and "億円です"? Do both of those also sound natural, or
should you only say "一万{いちまん}円です" and "一億{いちおく}円です"?




You must say 「一万円{いちまんえん}です」 and 「一億円{いちおくえん}です」 using the number 「一/1」. It is
just a custom we have and adhere to and those customs die hard in any culture.

Saying those two phrases without using 「一/1」 will make one sound **_very_**
unnatural. If I heard 「まんえん」 by itself without any context, I would definitely
think of the word 「蔓延{まんえん}」 ("spread", "prevail", etc.). I would not think of
"10,000 yen" at all.

In business, however, we often say 「一千円{いっせんえん}」 to mean "1,000 yen", so that
should probably be remembered. Note that 「一」 is pronounced 「いっ」, and not 「いち」
here.




You must say 「一万円{いちまんえん}です」 and 「一億円{いちおくえん}です」 using the number 「一/1」. It is
just a custom we have and adhere to and those customs die hard in any culture.

Saying those two phrases without using 「一/1」 will make one sound **_very_**
unnatural. If I heard 「まんえん」 by itself without any context, I would definitely
think of the word 「蔓延{まんえん}」 ("spread", "prevail", etc.). I would not think of
"10,000 yen" at all.

In business, however, we often say 「一千円{いっせんえん}」 to mean "1,000 yen", so that
should probably be remembered. Note that 「一」 is pronounced 「いっ」, and not 「いち」
here.

