Chinese Conversation · Level 1
86 words
Chinese word
十
Pronunciation
Pinyinshí
Meaning
- numberten
Example
他买了十个苹果。tā mǎi le shí gè píng guǒ
He bought ten apples.
More examples
电影在晚上十点半开始。diàn yǐng zài wǎn shàng shí diǎn bàn kāi shǐ
The movie starts at half past ten in the evening.
Core concept
A complete set of ten that provides a clear base for counting higher numbers.
Common phrases
十点半shí diǎn bàn
half past ten
十个shí gè
ten items
十分钟shí fēn zhōng
ten minutes
Similar words
零líng: The number that shows no quantity or none of something.
十几shí jǐ: An inexact number between ten and nineteen.
几十jǐ shí: An inexact quantity of tens, such as several tens without an exact count.
Definition in Chinese
表示十这个数量的数词，用于计数和表示数量，也用于构成二十、三十等复合数。biǎo shì shí zhè ge shù liàng de shù cí yòng yú jì shù hé biǎo shì shù liàng yě yòng yú gòu chéng èr shí sān shí děng fù hé shù
Word origin
The early written form of 十 (shí, "ten") was a simple cross-shaped numeral, and the character kept this role as Chinese writing developed.
Usage tips
- Chinese number words place a unit after the word for ten to form eleven through nineteen, while a multiplier before it forms a multiple of ten.