十
shí
The English word 'ten' is translated into Mandarin as 十 (shí).
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after 9 and before 11 (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 十 as a multiplier for a number, such as when saying 'twenty', place the character before the digit, for example 二十 (shí èr).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is shí.
Did you know?
- When giving a rating out of ten in Mandarin, a score of 十分 (shí fēn) can mean 'extremely' or 'very' in a sentence, regardless of a numerical scale.
- The character 十 may have originated as a pictograph of a 'needle', which was later borrowed to represent the number ten.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the number 'ten' is often associated with 'fullness' and 'completion' and is highly favored in celebratory contexts.
Examples in context
- 你十岁了吗？Are you ten years old?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's age using 十.Tatoeba #516981 by GlossaMatik, translation #69226 by CN
- 我十点回来。I'll be back at ten.This sentence is useful for stating a time of return using 十.Tatoeba #8791918 by crescat, translation #73430 by CK
- 再等十分钟！Wait ten more minutes!This sentence is useful for requesting a duration of time using 十.Tatoeba #9992081 by GlossaMatik, translation #13187529 by atitarev
- 209 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Jiayi are at a fruit stall.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，我们要买多少个橘子？Jiāyí, wǒmen yào mǎi duōshǎo gè júzi?Jiayi, how many oranges should we buy?
- 佳怡 Jiayi买十个吧。Mǎi shí gè ba.Let's buy ten.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我也想要十个。Hǎo, wǒ yě xiǎng yào shí gè.Okay, I also want ten.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们就拿二十个。Nà wǒmen jiù ná èrshí gè.Then we will take twenty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ten” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 十, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
