The number ten; a complete decimal count of single digits. Complete, whole, and perfect — used to mean "fully" or "all" in compounds like 十分. A vertical stroke (丨) crossed by a horizontal stroke (一) like a plus sign (+), marking a full count of ten.
10 is just 十. 一十 only appears inside larger numbers like 一百一十 (110).
A counted thing normally needs a measure word. If the noun is clear, keep 个.
十月 means October. For ten months of duration, add 个.
点 means o'clock. For ten minutes, use 分钟.
Number order flips the value. 十四 is 14; 四十 is 40.
Chinese numbers read left to right: 十四 is ten-four, 四十 is four-ten.
Chinese numbers read left to right, so the position of 十 changes the value. 十四 is 十 plus 四: fourteen. 四十 is 四 plus 十: forty. The tones flip too: 十四 is shí sì, 四十 is sì shí. Native speakers use 十四是十四，四十是四十 as a tongue twister because the two are easy to mix up. “六七八九十， 昨天星期四； 十四是十四， 四十是四十。” (Six, seven, eight, nine, ten — yesterday was Thursday. Fourteen is fourteen, and forty is forty.) ── [《一二三（2）》](/read/counting-days-rhymes#s2)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 十四 (shísì) | 四十 (sìshí) |
| 40 | 四十 (sìshí) | 十四 (shísì) |
| Pattern | 十 before 四 | 四 before 十 |
| Tones | shí then sì | sì then shí |
十月 is October; ten months is 十个月.
十月 means October, the tenth calendar month. For a duration of ten months, add 个: 十个月. The same point-versus-duration pattern shows up with 十点 (ten o'clock) and 十分钟 (ten minutes).
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| October | 十月 | 十个月 |
| Ten months | 十个月 | 十月 |
| Ten o'clock | 十点 | 十分钟 |
| Ten minutes | 十分钟 | 十点 |
No. If a specific thing is counted, you normally say 十个, not 十.
If the noun is clear, Chinese still usually keeps a measure word. Ten people is 十个人; ten books is 十本书. Bare 十 works for math, phone numbers, or counting aloud. If a delivery driver asks 几个?, answer 十个, not 十.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Ten people | 十个人 | 十 |
| Ten books | 十本书 | 十 |
| Answer to 几个? | 十个 | 十 |
| Math or counting aloud | 十 | 十个 |
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
六七八九 十 ，昨天星期四；十四是十四，四十是四十。
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