Soroban Flashcards

Interactive learning tools for mastering the Japanese abacus

📚 Master the Soroban Abacus

Complete visual guide to reading and understanding Japanese abacus patterns

1Understanding the Structure

The soroban has heaven beads (top) and earth beads (bottom) separated by a horizontal bar.

  • Heaven bead: Worth 5 units
  • Earth beads: Worth 1 unit each
  • Active position: Beads pushed toward the bar
Zero (0) - All beads away from bar

2Reading Single Digits (1-9)

1 = One earth bead up
3 = Three earth beads up
5 = Heaven bead down
7 = Heaven bead + 2 earth beads
9 = Heaven bead + 4 earth beads

3Multi-Digit Numbers

Each column represents a place value. Read from right to left: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands.

23 = 2 tens + 3 ones
Tens: 2 | Ones: 3
67 = 6 tens + 7 ones
Tens: 6 | Ones: 7
158 = 1 hundred + 5 tens + 8 ones
Hundreds: 1 | Tens: 5 | Ones: 8

4Practice Strategy

Start Simple, Build Complexity

  1. Master single digits (0-9) first
  2. Practice two-digit numbers (10-99)
  3. Advance to three-digit numbers (100-999)
  4. Challenge yourself with larger numbers

Reading Strategy

For each column, count the active beads:

  • Heaven bead down = add 5
  • Earth beads up = add 1 each
  • Total the values for each column
Practice Number
Try to read this number before revealing!

⚙️ Current Configuration

Settings used for this flashcard set

Cards: 11
Range: 10 - 20
Color Scheme: All beads are the same color
Bead Shape: Diamond

Configuration Details:

This flashcard set has been generated with specific settings to help you practice. You can generate new sets with different ranges, color schemes, and visual styles using the command-line tools.

Available Options:

  • Number Ranges: Practice with any range from 0-99999
  • Color Schemes: Monochrome, place-value, heaven-earth, alternating
  • Bead Shapes: Diamond, circle, square
  • Visual Styles: Multiple colorblind-friendly palettes

🎯 Interactive Challenges

Test your soroban skills with engaging games and quizzes

🧠 Memory & Speed

🎲 Logic & Patterns

🧮 Practice Flashcards

Interactive cards for hands-on learning

#1
10
#2
11
#3
12
#4
13
#5
14
#6
15
#7
16
#8
17
#9
18
#10
19
#11
20

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