十個
tō
The English phrase "ten things" is translated into Japanese as 十個 (tō).
十個 is used to express a quantity of ten individual objects.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the number ten (十) and the counter suffix for small, discrete objects (個).
How do you pronounce it?
tō
Did you know?
- Using 個 for people is considered extremely rude or dehumanizing, as it treats a human as a mere 'object'.
- In Japanese, counting 'ten things' can be expressed as 十個 or 十つ, but the latter uses the native Japanese number system rather than the Sino-Japanese system.
- While 十個 counts objects, the word for 'ten' can also act as a prefix in Japanese to mean 'complete' or 'perfect', such as in the phrase 十全.
Examples in context
- リンゴを十個買いました。Ringo o jukko kaimashita.I bought ten apples.
- 卵が十個あります。Tamago ga jukko arimasu.There are ten eggs.
- お菓子を十個ください。Okashi o jukko kudasai.Please give me ten pieces of candy.
Example conversation
At a grocery store, Hiroto and Himari are checking the shopping list.
- 大翔 Hiroto卵は十個必要だね。Tamago wa jukko hitsuyou da ne.We need ten eggs, right?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、十個ありますよ。Hai, jukko arimasu yo.Yes, there are ten.
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、これでお会計しよう。Jaa, kore de okaikei shiyou.Then, let's pay for these.
- 陽葵 Himariわかりました。Wakarimashita.Understood.
