六十
rokujū[ɾo̞kɯ̟ʑɨː]
The English number sixty is 六十 (rokujū) in Japanese.
六十 is the cardinal number used to represent the quantity sixty.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 六 (six) and 十 (ten), which literally translates to 'six tens'.
How do you pronounce it?
rokujū
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, reaching the age of 六十 is often celebrated as a 'kanreki', marking the completion of one full cycle of the zodiac and a symbolic rebirth.
- The reading muso is a compound of mu for 'six' and so for 'ten', which differs from the common roku and jū.
- The word 六十路 uses the number sixty as a suffix to describe someone in their sixties, but it literally translates to 'the road of sixty'.
Examples in context
- これは二千四百六十八ドルです。This is two thousand four hundred and sixty-eight dollars.This sentence shows how to use 六十 when expressing a specific dollar amount.Tatoeba #978206 by Heinz, translation #10118966 by kedymera
- わたしはろくじゅうさいです。I'm sixty years old
- 六十分待ちました。rokujuppun machimashita.I waited for sixty minutes.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are discussing a math quiz score.
- 健太 Kentaテストの結果はどうだった？tesuto no kekka wa dou datta?How was your test result?
- 結衣 Yui六十点でした。rokujuten deshita.It was sixty points.
- 健太 Kenta惜しいね！次は大丈夫だよ。oshii ne! tsugi wa daijoubu dayo.So close! You'll be fine next time.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、頑張るね。arigatou, ganbaru ne.Thanks, I will do my best.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sixty” translations and entries 六十, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 六十, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
