1.
several tens; dozens; scores
An approximate quantity meaning roughly 20 to 90, used when the exact number is not important or not known. Combines with counters to indicate an approximate count.
数十人が集まった。
Several dozen people gathered.
この建物は数十年前に建てられた。
This building was built several decades ago.
地震の影響で数十万人が避難生活を送っている。
Hundreds of thousands of people are living as evacuees due to the earthquake.
An approximate number word in the 数~ series. 数 prefixed to a number word indicates "several" of that unit. 数十 means roughly 20–90, though the exact range is vague.
COMMON COMBINATIONS:
- 数十人: several dozen people
- 数十年: several decades
- 数十万: several hundred thousand
- 数十億: tens of billions
RELATED NUMBER WORDS:
- 数: several (prefix)
- 数百: several hundred
- 数千: several thousand
- 数万: tens of thousands
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 何十: tens of — used in questions or exclamations, slightly different nuance
- 十数: ten-odd, between 10 and 19 — a smaller range than 数十