十 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
十 simply means ten. It's the number 10, and you'll use it constantly — counting, telling time, giving dates, and stating prices and ages. Visually it's about as simple as a kanji gets: one horizontal stroke and one vertical stroke crossing it, like a plus sign. That little cross shape is everywhere in everyday Japanese, so getting comfortable with it early pays off fast.
One thing to watch: 十 has a few different sounds depending on what follows it. Most of the time it's ジュウ, but before certain counters it shifts to ジッ or ジュッ, and in a couple of fixed words it uses the kun'yomi とお. Don't worry — the patterns are predictable, and we'll walk through them below.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | ジュウ | 十 (ten), 十月 (October), 十人 (ten people) |
| on'yomi | ジッ / ジュッ | 十分 (ten minutes), 十回 (ten times) |
| kun'yomi | とお | 十日 (とおか, the 10th / ten days), 十 (とお, ten — counting) |
| kun'yomi | と | 二十歳 (はたち) is irregular; と appears in older counting forms |
The basic rule: 十 is read ジュウ in most compounds (十月 = じゅうがつ, 十人 = じゅうにん). But before some counters that start with certain sounds, it changes to ジッ or ジュッ — for example 十分 (じっぷん / じゅっぷん, "ten minutes") and 十回 (じっかい / じゅっかい, "ten times"). Both ジッ and ジュッ are accepted; ジュッ is more common in everyday speech, while ジッ is the traditional form you may see in textbooks.
Then there are two readings you'll just memorize as a set: 十日 is read とおか ("the 10th of the month" or "ten days"), and 二十歳 ("20 years old") is read はたち — a completely irregular reading worth flagging now.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 2. Write the horizontal stroke first (left to right), then the vertical stroke (top to bottom) crossing through it. That order is the standard rule, and it'll feel natural once you've done it a few times.
- Radical: 十 is its own radical, the "ten" radical (じゅう). It shows up as a component inside many other kanji too — for example 千 (thousand) and 午 (noon) both contain it.
Because it's only two strokes, 十 is a perfect kanji to practice clean, confident lines. Keep the cross point a little above center for a balanced look.
Common words using 十
Watch the readings shift here: 十月 keeps the plain ジュウ, 十分 switches to ジュッ before the counter, 十日 uses the kun'yomi とおか, and 二十歳 is the fully irregular はたち. The word 十分 is also commonly read じゅうぶん when it means "enough / sufficient" — same kanji, different reading and meaning, so let context guide you.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは十さいです。
ヤッタンは じゅっさいです。
Yattan is ten years old.
十 read as the on'yomi — note ジュッ before the counter さい.
モチは十月十日に生まれました。
モチは じゅうがつ とおかに うまれました。
Mochi was born on October 10th.
Two readings in one sentence: 十月 (ジュウ) and 十日 (とおか).
先生は「あと十分で休みです」と言いました。
せんせいは「あと じゅっぷんで やすみです」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Ten minutes until the break.'
十分 as 'ten minutes' uses ジュッ; the same word read じゅうぶん means 'enough.'
Quick recap
- 十 = ten; just 2 strokes; it's the "ten" radical itself.
- Default reading is ジュウ (十月, 十人); it becomes ジッ/ジュッ before some counters (十分, 十回).
- Memorize the irregulars: 十日 = とおか and 二十歳 = はたち.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 十 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why is 十分 sometimes じゅっぷん and sometimes じゅうぶん?
Both use the kanji 十分, but the meaning differs. じゅっぷん (also じっぷん) means 'ten minutes.' じゅうぶん means 'enough / sufficient.' Context tells you which one is meant.
Is it ジッ or ジュッ for 十分 and 十回?
Both are correct. ジュッ (じゅっぷん, じゅっかい) is more common in everyday speech, while ジッ (じっぷん, じっかい) is the traditional reading you'll see in some textbooks.
How do you read 十日?
十日 is read とおか, using the kun'yomi とお. It means 'the 10th of the month' or 'ten days.' This is a fixed reading worth memorizing.
Why is 二十歳 read はたち?
二十歳 ('20 years old') is a special irregular reading: はたち. It doesn't follow the usual sounds of 二, 十, or 歳 — just learn it as one word.