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エレメンタリーまなびの未来

Grade 3Math

The Abacus (Soroban)How to move the beads and show numbers

The soroban is a Japanese abacus, a tool that shows numbers by moving beads. We learn what the five-bead and the one-beads mean, how the places work, how to show decimals, and how to move the beads for simple addition and subtraction.

The narration and the pictures are in Japanese. You can hear the same words that are used in class at a Japanese school.

Video
2:14（9 scenes）
Problems
2 problems

Open this lesson in Japanese（そろばん）

0:00
  1. 1What is an abacus?0:00
  2. 2The numbers the beads show0:15
  3. 3Places and the unit point0:28
  4. 4How to show a number0:44
  5. 5How to show decimals1:01
  6. 6Addition (the tens place)1:20
  7. 7Addition (the ones place)1:33
  8. 8Subtraction1:48
  9. 9Let's try2:03

Let's try

Write the math sentence in your notebook first, then open the answer.

  1. 1Beads are set on an abacus. Which number does this abacus show: 472, 4072, or 4702?

    Hint

    The rod with the unit point is the ones place. From there, read the beads to the left: tens, hundreds, and so on.

    Answer

    It is 4072. The thousands place has four one-beads. The hundreds place has no beads moved to the beam, so it is 0. The tens place has the five-bead and two one-beads, so it is 7. The ones place has two one-beads, so it is 2.

  2. 2You calculate 32 + 14 on the abacus. What is the answer?

    Hint

    Calculate place by place, the tens place first and then the ones place.

    Answer

    It is 46. In the tens place, add 1 to 3 to get 4. In the ones place, you add 4 to 2, but there are not enough one-beads, so bring down the five-bead and take away one one-bead.

Words in this lesson

five-bead 五玉ごだま
The upper bead on an abacus. One of them shows 5.
one-bead 一玉いちだま
A lower bead on an abacus. One of them shows 1.
unit point 定位点ていいてん
A black dot on the beam of the abacus. It is a marker for the places.

For parents and guardians

  • The names of lessons and the order of topics differ slightly between textbooks. This page follows the content of Japan's national curriculum guidelines (the Course of Study).
  • Because beads are moved place by place, the abacus is a tool that makes the idea of "place value," the same as in the column method, visible. If you have a real abacus, setting the same numbers as on the screen deepens understanding.
  • This page covers only simple addition and subtraction without carrying or borrowing. Practicing with a real abacus is effective for getting used to bead moves such as "add 5 and subtract 1."