十
shí
10
十 (shí) is the Chinese character for the number ten. It's a fundamental number used in counting, telling time, and as a building block for larger numbers.
When to use it
Neutral and universally applicable. It's used in all contexts from casual counting to formal statements. When forming numbers like 11-19, it combines directly (e.g., 十一 for eleven). For multiples of ten (20, 30), it follows the digit (e.g., 二十 for twenty).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “shirr” or “sure” with a falling tone. The 'sh' is like in 'shoe,' and the vowel is similar to the 'i' in 'shirt,' but pronounced with a clear falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 第十dì shítenth (ordinal number)
- 十个shí gèten (of something, with a measure word)
- 十点shí diǎnten o'clock
Examples
我需要十个苹果。
wǒ xū yào shí gè píng guǒ 。
I need ten apples.
他今年十岁了。
tā jīn nián shí suì le 。
He is ten years old this year.
我们十点见面吧。
wǒ men shí diǎn jiàn miàn ba 。
Let's meet at ten o'clock.
Pro tip: Unlike English, where numbers like 'eleven' and 'twenty' are unique words, Chinese uses 十 as a base. For 11-19, it's 'ten one,' 'ten two,' etc. (十一, 十二). For 20, 30, etc., it's 'two ten,' 'three ten' (二十, 三十).
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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