1.
one tenth; 10 percent
One part out of ten. Japan uses the 割 system where one 割 equals 10%, alongside the percentage system.
売上の一割が利益だ。
One tenth of the sales is profit.
参加者のうち一割が外国人だった。
About 10% of the participants were foreigners.
定価から一割引きで購入できるクーポンを使った。
I used a coupon that let me buy it at a 10% discount from the regular price.
The 割 system is Japan's traditional way of expressing fractions and percentages. 一割 = 10%, 二割 = 20%, etc. Below 一割, the scale continues with 分 (1%) and 厘 (0.1%).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 一割引き — 10% discount
- 一割増 — 10% increase
- 一割負担 — 10% co-payment (especially in healthcare)
- 約一割 — about 10%
THE 割 SYSTEM:
- 一割 = 10%
- 三割 = 30%
- 五割 = 50% (half)
- 三割五分 = 35% (used especially in baseball batting averages)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 10パーセント — 10 percent (Western-style; also common)
- 十分の一 — one tenth (fraction form)
CULTURAL NOTE:
The 割 system is used commonly in daily life for discounts (二割引 = 20% off), medical co-payments (三割負担 = 30% co-pay), and baseball statistics (打率三割 = .300 batting average).