Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Ten" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "ten", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
万
まん (man)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
十
じゅう (jū)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "ten" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 万 and 十.
In Japanese, 万 (まん (man)) is typically associated with "ten thousand" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents A numerical counter for 'ten thousand'. Japanese numbers are often grouped by units of 10,000..
On the other hand, 十 (じゅう (jū)) maps to "ten" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Basic number for ten. Can also be read as とお. A literal translation of "ten" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "万"
この車は百万円です。
This car costs one million yen (100 'man' yen).
Bilingual Context for "十"
鉛筆が十本あります。
There are ten pencils.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この車は百 ＿＿＿ 円です。" (Meaning: "This car costs one million yen (100 'man' yen).")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "万" fits here because it means "ten thousand" in the context of: "This car costs one million yen (100 'man' yen).". "十" represents "ten".