三十
sanjū[sã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑɨː]
The English number thirty is expressed in Japanese as 三十 (sanjū).
The term is used as a cardinal number to represent the quantity of thirty.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The number is composed of the kanji for three (三) and ten (十).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 三十路 is more poetic or colloquial and is often found in literature or casual conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
sanjū
Did you know?
- The phrase 三十路の壁 describes a 'wall of thirty', which refers to the sudden onset of social and psychological pressures upon hitting this age.
- The archaic reading for thirty, miso, stems from the Old Japanese way of counting where ten was pronounced as so and three as mi.
- The term misoji (三十路) is not just a number, but a way to describe the 'path' or 'road' of one's life at age thirty. The suffix implies a journey or a stage in a person's life.
Examples in context
- 七時三十分だった。It was seven thirty.This sentence shows how to use 三十 when telling the time.Tatoeba #149633 by small_snow, translation #264925 by CK
- 三十路じゃありません。I'm not thirty years old.This sentence uses 三十 to state one's age.Tatoeba #10369507 by small_snow, translation #2545317 by CK
- 僕はすでに三十歳越えだ。I'm already over thirty.This sentence uses 三十 to indicate an age over thirty.Tatoeba #8967778 by Ninja, translation #5850457 by CK
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking about a price in a shop.
- 陽葵 Himariこれは三十円ですか？Kore wa sanjuu en desu ka?Is this thirty yen?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、三十円です。Hai, sanjuu en desu.Yes, it is thirty yen.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太さん、安すぎませんか？Hinata-san, yasusugi masen ka?Hinata, isn't it too cheap?
- 陽太 Yota本当ですね、陽葵さん。Hontou desu ne, Himari-san.You're right, Himari.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thirty” translations and entries 三十, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 三十, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
