五いつつ

い

つ

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

The number five, used as a numeral. Often used in counting objects, especially in the traditional Japanese counting system.

机つくえの上うえにりんごが五いつつある。

There are five apples on the desk.

2

noun

five years old

Used to indicate the age of five, especially for children. Common in phrases like 五つになる (turn five).

娘むすめは今年ことしで五いつつになります。
My daughter will be five this year.

3

noun

eight o'clock (old time system)

In the old Japanese temporal hour system, 五つ corresponded to approximately 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. Rarely used in modern contexts except in historical or literary settings.

江え戸ど時じ代だいには、五いつつは今いまの午ご前ぜん八はち時じごろを指さした。
In the Edo period, 五つ referred to around 8 a.m. in the modern time system.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が五いつつあるthere are five of (something)
テーブルにりんごが五いつつある。
There are five apples on the table.
五いつつになるto turn five years old
娘むすめはもうすぐ五いつつになる。
My daughter is about to turn five.

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつNumbers and countersN5

Kanji

五five
伍five, five-man squad, file

Don't confuse with

五ごN5sense 1
五つ is the native Japanese counting word used with general objects and ages, while 五 is the Sino-Japanese reading used for numerals, dates, and larger counting compounds, so learners often mix up when to use each.
五うー
五つ (いつつ) is the native kun'yomi used for counting five items in everyday speech, whereas 五 (ウー) is a specialized Sino-Japanese reading used mainly in mahjong.

Written forms

五いつつ
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
５いつつ
Numeral spelling, common in informal or space-constrained writing.
伍いつつ
out-dated kanji form
Outdated kanji usage.

Etymology

Native Japanese numeral, from Old Japanese. The suffix つ is a generic counter for objects, common in the traditional counting system.