Goroawase

Here is a chart of examples of Japanese word play "_goroawase_", which are usually derived from number substitutes for sounds, and act as abbreviations useful in texting or (in the distant past) pagers, or as mnemonic devices for learners. You'll find them in everyday life once you know what to look for. 4649!

Goroawase | Nihongo | Furigana | Romaji | English | Memo
15 x 15 = 225 | イチゴイチゴに、ニコッ | いちごいちごににこっ | ichigoichigoni, niko | Grinning at the strawberries. | From children's school notes.
33414 | 寂しいよ | さみしいよ | Samishiiyo | I'm lonely. | Used in texting and pagers.
11 x 11 = 121 | いいいい、人に人 | いいいい、ひとにひと | iiii, hitonihito | good, good, person to person | From children's school notes.
11 x 11 = 121 | いいいい、人に人 | いいいい、ひとにひと | iiii, hitonihito | Good, good, person to person. | From children's school notes.
12 x 12 = 144 | 胃に胃に石よ | いにいにいしよ | iniini, ishiyo | From stomach to stomach, a rock. | From children's school notes.
13 x 13 = 169 | いざいざ、一郎君 | いざいざいちろうくん | izaiza, ichiroukun | In a pinch, Ichirou. | From children's school notes.
14 x 14 = 196 | いよいよ、一苦労 | いよいよいくろう | iyoiyo, hitokurou | Finally, a difficulty. | From children's school notes.
16 x 16 = 256 | 色々煮込む | いろいろにこむ | iroiro, nikomu | Stew various things. | From children's school notes.
17 x 17 = 289 | いいないいな、二泊 | いいないいなにはく | iinaiina, nihaku | That's great, that's cool, two nights! | From children's school notes.
18 x 18 = 324 | いやいや、ミニよ | いやいやみによ | iyaiya, miniyo | No, no, it's mini. | From children's school notes.
19 x 19 = 361 | 行く行く、寒いとこ | いくいくあさむいとこ | ikuiku, samuitoko | Let's go, let's go, to a cold place. | From children's school notes.
物でねーと、せっかくのプレゼントも有り難くない。 | 物でねーと、せっかくのプレゼントも有り難くない。 | ものでねーと、せっかくのぷれぜんともありがたくない | Mono de neeto, sekkaku no purezento mo arigatakunai. | If not a physical thing, even if you give me a present I'm not happy. | Mnemonic to remember the OSI model. Mono (physical) de (data) nee (network), to (t(o)ransport), sekkaku no (session), purezento (presentation), arigatakunai (application). 物理層 データリンク層 ネットワーク層 トランスポート層 セッション層 プレゼンテーション層 アプリケーション層.
0906 | 遅れる | おくれる | Okureru | I'll be late. | Used in texting to say you'll be late.
3.14159265 | 産医師異国に向こう | さんいしいこくにむこ | Sanishi ikokuni mukou | Obstetrician goes to a foreign land. | Mnenomic goroawase students use to remember the first few digits of the constant pi, π.
893 | ヤクザ | やくざ | Yakuza | Yakuza | Mnemonic goroawase for the "Japanese mob".
0840 | お早う | おはよう | Ohayou | Good Morning | For IM or texting, mostly.
0340 | お寿司◯ | おすしまる | osushi maru | I love sushi! | License plate. The person must really love sushi!
8888 | ハハハハ | はははは | hahahaha | Ha ha ha ha! | License plate. Laughter, or lucky Chinese New Year?!
6480 | 虫歯ゼロ | むしばぜろ | Mushiba zero | No Cavities! | Seen as the phone number on some dentist signs.
9182 | キューティーハーニー | きゅーてぃーはーにー | Kyuutii haanii | Cutie Honey | License plate. The driver either likes the anime Cutie Honey, or is a cutie honey.
3315 | さー、さー、行こう！ | さーさーいこう | Saa, saa ikou! | Say, let's go! | License plate goroawase, encouraging people to drive, I guess.
4155 | よい、ゴーゴー | よいごうごう | Yoi, gou gou | Ready, go, go! | Exhortation to "go! go!" for a license plate.
3923 | さんきゅう日産 | さんきゅうにっさん | sankyuu nissan | Thank you, Nissan | Nissan lovers, unite!
4946 | よく読む | よくよむ | yokuyomu | Read a lot, oft-read | “4946” or yokuyomu (often read), is used in toll free phone numbers for newspapers and magazines. Nikkei even has it in their website - http://www.nikkei4946.com/.
4649 | 宜しく | よろしく | Yoroshiku | Be kind to me | “4649” or yoroshiku is used when you are asking someone to do something. This uses both readings of the numeral 4, ‘yon’ and ‘shi’.
1192 | 良い国 | いいくに | iikuni | Good Country | “1192” or iikuni, is the year the Kamakura bakufu government was established, with the idea of making a good country (ii kuni) .
39 | さんきゅう | さんきゅう | sankyuu | Thank you | "39" is used in texting or IM chat, as a quick way to say thank you.
103 | 登山 | とざん | tozan | Mountain climbing | "103" or Oct 3rd is "Mountain Climbing Day".
1101 | イトイ | いとい | itoi | The "Itoi" of "Itoi Shinbun" | If you know Hobonichi techo notebooks you'll recognize their website as https://www.1101.com, which has a goroawase for Itoi Shinbun or newspaper.

## Nihongo Number Substitutions The following chart will serve as a key to the _goroawase_ in the above table, showing the possible homophones for numbers in Japanese. Some of them are a bit of a stretch, so one could imagine a situation where the creator of the number play would have to explain how to pronounce it, were it not immediately apparent.

Number | Kunyomi Romaji | Onyomi Romaji | English Transliteration Romaji | Kunyomi Nihongo | Onyomi Nihongo | English Transliteration Nihongo
0 | maru, ma, wa | rei, re | o, zero, ze | まる、ま、わ | れい、れ | オウ、ゼロ、ゼ
1 | hitotsu, hito, hi | ichi, i | wan | ひとつ、ひと、ひ | いち、い | ワン
2 | futatsu, fu, futa | ni, ji | tsu, tsū, tū | ふたつ、ふた、ふ | に、じ | ツ、ツー、トゥー
3 | mitsu, mi | san, sa, za | su, surī | みつ、み | さん、さ、ざ | ス、スリー
4 | yon, yo, yotsu | shi | fō, ho | よん、よ、よつ | し | フォ、ホ
5 | itsutsu, itsu, i | go, ko | faibu, faivu | いつつ、いつ、い | ご、こ | ファイブ、ファイヴ
6 | mutsu, mu | roku, ro | shikkusu | むつ、む | ろく、ろ | シックス
7 | nana, nanatsu, na | shichi | sebun, sevun | ななつ、なな、な | しち | セブン、セヴン
8 | yatsu, ya | hachi, ha, ba | eito | やつ、や | はち、は、ば | エート
9 | kokonotsu, ko | kyu, ku | nain | ここのつ、こ | きゅう、く | ナイン
10 | tō, to | ju, ji | ten | とお、と | じゅう、じ | テン