三十
sānshí
The English word thirty is expressed in Mandarin as 三十 (sānshí).
三十 is the cardinal number for thirty. To specify thirty as a quantity, you can add the measure word 个 after 三十 to form 三十个. In colloquial settings, you may use 三十块 to mean thirty yuan.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 三十 is composed of 三, meaning 'three' and 十, meaning 'ten'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Mandarin, the structure for numbers changes based on the value. To say numbers from 11 to 19, you place the smaller number after 十 (for example, 十一 for 11), but for multiples of ten like thirty, you place the multiplier before 十 as in 三十.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is sānshí.
Did you know?
- When writing 三十 on a check or official legal document, the complex characters 參拾 are used instead to prevent fraud by making the numbers harder to alter.
- The phrase 三十而立 is a famous Confucian saying meaning 'at thirty, one stands', referring to the age when a person should be established in their career and character.
- The character 十 for 'ten' used in 三十 is visually a cross, which in ancient Chinese oracle bone script represented a vertical and horizontal intersection of lines.
Examples in context
- 汤姆今年三十岁。Tom is thirty years old.This sentence uses 三十 to state an age.Tatoeba #8738755 by crescat, translation #1024810 by CK
- 你欠我三十美元。You owe me thirty bucks.This sentence uses 三十 to describe an amount of money.Tatoeba #9965550 by GlossaMatik, translation #3826003 by CK
- 我已经三十多了。I'm already over thirty.This sentence uses 三十 to indicate being over a certain age.Tatoeba #10019662 by GlossaMatik, translation #5850457 by CK
- 今天我已经工作了三十小时了。Today, I have already worked for thirty hours.
- 我有三十个工作日的假期。I have thirty days of annual leave.
- 这件衬衫只要三十块。This shirt costs only thirty yuan.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Xinyi are discussing a restaurant bill.
- 浩然 Haoran这顿饭一共多少钱？Zhè dùn fàn yīgòng duōshǎo qián?How much is this meal in total?
- 雨婷 Yuting一共是三十块钱。Yīgòng shì sānshí kuài qián.It is thirty yuan in total.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我给你钱。Hǎo, wǒ gěi nǐ qián.Okay, I will give you the money.
- 雨婷 Yuting谢谢你，俊杰。Xièxiè nǐ, Jùnjié.Thank you, Junjie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thirty” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
