十
Meanings
1
ten; 10
The cardinal number ten. Used in counting, mathematics, and everyday contexts. The reading じゅう is standard; とお is used in native Japanese counting (ひとつ, ふたつ, …, とお).
I bought ten apples.
The meeting starts at ten o'clock.
2
ten years old
Only with reading とお
Used specifically for age, read とお. Common in the phrase 十歳 (とお).
He will be ten years old this year.
3
poetry anthology (archaic)
archaic
Only when written 什
Archaic meaning, restricted to the kanji 什. Refers to a book containing a collection of poems. Not used in modern Japanese.
The character 什 was used to refer to old poetry collections.
Usage patterns
- 十+人ten people
There are ten students in the classroom.
- 十+分ten minutes (note the sound change to じゅっ/じっ before 分)
The train leaves in ten more minutes.
- 十+本ten (long, thin objects such as pencils or bottles)
I bought ten pencils.