numeric
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).
りんごを十個買いました。
I bought ten apples.
十時から会議が始まります。
The meeting starts at ten o'clock.
noun
ten years old
Only with reading とお
Used specifically for age, read とお. Common in the phrase 十歳 (とお).
彼は今年で十歳になります。
He will be ten years old this year.
noun
poetry anthology (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.
「什」は古い詩集を指す字として使われた。
The character 什 was used to refer to old poetry collections.
Formal kanji used in legal and financial documents to prevent forgery.
Arabic numeral spelling, common in horizontal writing and lists.
Archaic kanji for a poetry collection; not used in modern Japanese.
Vertical writing variant using 〇 for zero; mainly seen in traditional contexts.
The kanji 十 is a pictograph representing a complete set, originally a vertical line with a dot, later stylized as a cross. The native Japanese reading とお derives from Old Japanese *towo, related to the counting system.