十
jū[d͡ʑɨː]
The Japanese word for ten is 十 (jū). Wiktionary also lists テン (ten).
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after 9 and before 11 (num)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 十 | jū | [d͡ʑɨː] (narrow) [to̞ː] (narrow) |
| テン | ten | [tẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
The primary way to express the number ten is through the standard form 十.
Which one should you use?
The standard way to count is to use 十, while the katakana form テン is a loanword used primarily in specific contexts such as music or scoring in games.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting objects, the form of the word for ten often changes depending on the counter being used, such as 十個 (jukkō) for small objects.
How do you pronounce it?
jū
Did you know?
- The word for ten, 十, might be linked to the verb 撓む (towomu), meaning 'to bend'. This suggests the name comes from the physical way fingers bend during manual counting.
- In Japanese, the number ten is not just a value but a linguistic chameleon. It often undergoes 'euphony' changes, where its sound merges with following counters to become easier to say.
Examples in context
- 十時ごろですか。Is it about ten o'clock?This sentence shows how to use 十 when asking about the time.Tatoeba #148071 by bunbuku, translation #266488 by CK
- もう夜の十時だ。It's already ten o'clock at night.This sentence demonstrates the use of 十 to state the time at night.Tatoeba #193977 by bunbuku, translation #31145 by CK
- 今まだ十時です。It's still ten o'clock.This sentence illustrates using 十 to state the current time.Tatoeba #10983040 by small_snow, translation #11070001 by Luornu
- Juuppon (じゅうぼん)Ten bottles
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are deciding how many apples to buy at the store.
- 蓮 Renリンゴをいくつ買いますか。Ringo o ikutsu kaimasu ka.How many apples shall we buy?
- 美咲 Misaki十個買いましょう。Jukko kaimashou.Let's buy ten.
- 蓮 Ren十個も必要ですか。Jukko mo hitsuyou desu ka.Do we need as many as ten?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、みんなで分けますから。Hai, minna de wakemasu kara.Yes, because we are sharing them with everyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ten” translations and entries 十, テン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries テン, 十, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
