十(じゅう)

じゅう

number

ten

1. ten

The number ten. A base number in Japanese counting, used to form larger numbers (11 = じゅういち, 20 = にじゅう, etc.). Very consistent in pronunciation across most combinations.

十(じゅう)分(ぷん)で着(つ)きます。

I'll arrive in ten minutes.

十(じゅう)人(にん)のクラスです。

It's a class of ten people.

十(じゅう)月(がつ)は秋(あき)なので涼(すず)しいです。

October is autumn, so it's cool.

今日(きょう)は十(じゅう)時間(じかん)以上(いじょう)仕事(しごと)をしたので、とても疲(つか)れました。

I worked more than ten hours today, so I'm very tired.

毎朝(まいあさ)十(じゅう)時(じ)から十二(じゅうに)時(じ)まで日本語(にほんご)の勉強(べんきょう)をして、午後(ごご)は図書館(としょかん)で本(ほん)を読(よ)んでいます。

Every morning I study Japanese from ten to twelve o'clock, and in the afternoon I read books at the library.

十(じゅう) is the Sino-Japanese reading for ten, used in most counting and arithmetic contexts.

Pronunciation

じゅう: standard Sino-Japanese reading, used in compounds and with counters
とお: native Japanese reading, used for counting objects without a counter (十(とお)つ)

Counting patterns

Before certain counters, じゅう becomes じゅっ or じっ:

十(じゅっ)本(ぽん) (ten long objects)
十(じっ)歳(さい) (ten years old)
十(じゅっ)回(かい) (ten times)

Building numbers

二(に)十(じゅう) (20), 三(さん)十(じゅう) (30), etc.
十(じゅう)一(いち) (11), 十(じゅう)二(に) (12), etc.

Common expressions

十分(じゅうぶん): enough, sufficient (also read じゅっぷん for 'ten minutes')
十(じゅう)人(にん)十(じゅう)色(いろ): to each their own (lit. ten people, ten colors)

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:41 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29

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