Japanese word

数十

Pronunciation

Romajisūjū

Meaning

  • noundozens

Example

会場には数十人います。kai jō ni wa sū jū nin i ma su

There are dozens of people at the venue.

Illustration for 数十 (dozens)

More examples

この町には数十軒の店があります。ko no machi ni wa sū jū noki no mise ga a ri ma su

There are dozens of stores in this town.

Core concept

Indicates more than ten but fewer than a hundred in a deliberately imprecise count.

Common phrases

  • 数十人sū jū nin

    dozens of people

Similar words

十数jūsū: Indicates an imprecise quantity from about ten to nineteen.
何十nanjū: Indicates an unspecified quantity of tens, often in a question.
数百sūhyaku: Indicates an imprecise quantity of several hundred.

Definition in Japanese

十を単位として数個分に及ぶおおよその数。jū o tan i to shi te sū ko bun ni oyo bu ō yo so no kazu

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 数十 (sūjū) consists of 数 (sū, "several") and 十 (jū, "ten"), with 数 indicating an unspecified number of tens.

Usage tips

  • A speaker uses 数十人 (sūjūnin) for a crowd when the size matters more than the precise headcount.

Other meanings

  • tensnoun

Word lists with this word