十じっ中ちゅう八はっ九く

also: じゅっちゅうはっく · じゅうちゅうはっく

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Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun

in all probability; nine times out of ten

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Used to express a very high likelihood; often appears as an adverbial phrase. A yojijukugo (four-character compound).

十じっ中ちゅう八はっ九く、彼かれは遅ち刻こくするだろう。
In all probability, he will be late.

十じっ中ちゅう八はっ九く、明日あしたは雨あめだ。

Nine times out of ten, it will rain tomorrow.

Kanji

十ten
中in, inside, middle
八eight, eight radical (no. 12)
九nine

Similar words

おそらく
おそらく is a more common and neutral adverb for 'probably', while 十中八九 emphasizes a very high probability, closer to 'almost certainly'.
九く分ぶ九く厘りん
九分九厘 also means 'almost certainly' but is slightly more emphatic (99%). 十中八九 is a bit less absolute (80-90%).

Written forms

十中八九
- じっちゅうはっく
  Standard kanji form; the most common reading is じっちゅうはっく.
- じゅっちゅうはっく
  Alternate reading; also widely used.
- じゅうちゅうはっく
  Less common reading; may be encountered but じっちゅうはっく or じゅっちゅうはっく are preferred.
じゅうちゅうはっく
じゅっちゅうはっく

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 十 (ten), 中 (among), 八 (eight), and 九 (nine), literally meaning 'eight or nine out of ten'. The reading じっちゅうはっく follows standard on'yomi with a geminate consonant shift.