Japanese word

十二

Pronunciation

Romajijūni

Meaning

  • numbertwelve

Example

会議は十二時に始まります。kai gi wa jū ni ji ni haji ma ri ma su

The meeting starts at twelve.

Illustration for 十二 (twelve)

More examples

クラスに十二人の学生がいます。ku ra su ni jū ni nin no gaku sei ga i ma su

There are twelve students in the class.

Core concept

Represents a quantity of ten plus two, whether it counts things or marks a position in order.

Common phrases

  • 十二人jū ni nin

    twelve people

  • 十二歳jū ni sai

    twelve years old

  • 十二時jū ni ji

    twelve o'clock

Definition in Japanese

十に二を加えた数。jū ni ni o kuwa e ta kazu

Word origin

The compound 十二 (jūni, "twelve") combines 十 (jū, "ten") and 二 (ni, "two").

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 十二時 (jūniji) can refer to either noon or midnight, so the context or an added time word identifies which one is meant.

Word lists with this word