十

On'yomi

ジュウ・ジッ・ジュッ

JUU / JI / JU

Kun'yomi

とお・と・そ

too / to / so

ten

Details

Strokes2

Frequency#8

Radical十ten(2)

Stroke Order

Strokes2

Cultural Context

Etymology

Vertical and horizontal lines crossing. All directions, complete number.

Symbolism

Perfection, sufficiency, full marks. Also represents diversity as in 'ten people, ten colors'.

Words & Expressions

Words written with 十

十字架じゅうじかcross

十二支じゅうにしzodiac

何十なんじゅうtens

十一じゅういちeleven

十二じゅうにtwelve

Four-Character Compounds

三十六計

さんじゅうろっけい

the 36 (ancient Chinese military) strategies (of which the last resort was said to be beating a retreat)

十字砲火

じゅうじほうか

cross fire

十人十色

じゅうにんといろ

several men, several minds; everyone has his own (ideas, tastes, interests, etc.); different strokes for different folks

十中八九

じっちゅうはっく

in 8 or 9 cases out of ten; in all probability

十年一日

じゅうねんいちじつ

without intermission for ten (long) years; with constancy of purpose for ten (long) years; in the same old rut for years on end

十万億土

じゅうまんおくど

eternity; paradise

十年一昔

じゅうねんひとむかし

the pace of change makes ten years back seem like ancient history

九十九折

つづらおり

winding; meandering; sinuous

五風十雨

ごふうじゅうう

seasonable rains and winds; halcyon weather; halcyon times of peace

五十知命

ごじゅうちめい

at age fifty, one comes to know the will of Heaven

四十不惑

しじゅうふわく

at age forty, one has no doubts

一暴十寒

いちばくじっかん

bursts of exertion will fail to bear fruit if interrupted by long periods of idleness; strenuous efforts, unless sustained, are to no avail

一目十行

いちもくじゅうぎょう

outstanding reading ability; one glance, ten lines

十死一生

じっしいっしょう

narrow escape from the jaws of death; there being barely a chance of escaping death

Proverbs & Idioms

十を聞いて一を知る

じゅうをきいていちをしる

Hear ten, understand one

Unable to grasp even a fraction of what is taught

Poetry

和歌（百人一首） (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

わたの原八十島かけて漕ぎ出でぬと人には告げよあまのつり舟

Tell them for me, fishing boats: that I have rowed out across the wide sea, past the eighty islands.

参議篁Sangi Takamura

9th century

俳句 (Haiku)

鶏頭の十四五本もありぬべし

There must be a good fourteen or fifteen cockscombs standing there.

正岡子規Masaoka Shiki

1900

俳句 (Haiku)

春や昔十五万石の城下かな

Spring as it was long ago — a castle town of a hundred and fifty thousand koku.

正岡子規Masaoka Shiki

1895