十 meaning and stroke order
Ten; 10
How to write 十, stroke by stroke
2 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
Meaning of 十
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ten
- 10
How 十 is built
Components of the character.
How to remember 十
十 (shí) is one horizontal stroke 一 crossed by one vertical stroke 丨, like a plus sign. Think of ten fingers held up and crossed together to show a full, complete set.
十 is the basic word for ten and builds other numbers: 十二 (shí'èr) is twelve, 二十 (èrshí) is twenty. It also appears in words meaning complete, such as 十分 (shífēn) "very". Example: 我今天十分高兴。(Wǒ jīntiān shífēn gāoxìng.) I am very happy today.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 十 with 千 (qiān, thousand), which has an extra slanted stroke on top, or with 干 (gān), which has two horizontal strokes. Also keep the second tone in shí so it does not sound like 是 (shì) or 四 (sì, four).
Common words with 十
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 十分 | shífēn | very; completely | HSK 2 |
| 十足 | shízú | ample; complete | HSK 5 |
| 十字路口 | shízì lùkǒu | crossroads; intersection | HSK 7-9 |
| 二十 | èrshí | twenty; 20 | |
| 十字架 | shízìjià | cross; crucifix | |
| 五十 | wǔshí | fifty | |
| 十二 | shí'èr | twelve; 12 | |
| 三十 | sānshí | thirty; 30 | |
| 十五 | shíwǔ | fifteen; 15 | |
| 十字 | shízì | cross road; cross-shaped | |
| 四十 | sìshí | forty; 40 | |
| 十三 | shísān | thirteen; 13 | |
| 十万 | shíwàn | hundred thousand | |
| 十八 | shíbā | eighteen; 18 |
十 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 十
Learning 十 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 十
How many strokes are in 十?
十 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 十 mean?
十 (shí) means ten; 10. A common word with it is 十分 (shífēn), meaning "very; completely".
How do you pronounce 十?
十 is pronounced shí, in the second tone (rising).
Is 十 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 十 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 十二 and 二十?
Order matters. 十二 (shí'èr) means ten plus two, which is twelve. 二十 (èrshí) means two tens, which is twenty.
Why does 十分 mean very instead of ten minutes?
In 十分, 十 carries its sense of complete or full, so the word means fully or very. Ten minutes is 十分钟 (shí fēnzhōng), with 钟 added.