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?
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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
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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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1I 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
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@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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2+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
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@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)?. – Alenanno Aug 05 '11 at 10:51