| Meaning |
ten 十
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| Explanation |
Two crossed arms (with five fingers each) means ten. |
Used in these Kanji:
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十
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JLPT 5Joyo 1 |
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ten
tō, JŪ
Two crossed arms (with five fingers each) makes: ten.
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十
Vocabulary |
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千
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JLPT 5Joyo 1 |
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thousand
chi, SEN Combination of 人 with one 一 (see 'one' 一 as "many persons aligned")
Many persons aligned to each other add up to 1000.
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十
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早
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JLPT 4Joyo 1 |
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early, fast
hayai, SŌ Sunrise 旦 (= The sun 日 above the horizon 一) with a marking 丶
When the (rising) sun is at the marked spot 丶 at the horizon, it is still early.
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早
旦
日
十
Vocabulary |
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計
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JLPT 4Joyo 2 |
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measure
hakaru, KEI Left: word 言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: ten 十
To put the words in groups of tens for measuring.
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言
十
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古
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JLPT 5Joyo 2 |
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old
furui, KO Ten 十 and mouth 口 (古 was derived from the image of a skull). See this as the image of a grave mound with a cross.
Under the tomb mound/stone lies the "old".
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口
十
古
Vocabulary |
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午
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JLPT 5Joyo 2 |
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noon
GO
Image of the pestel (handle at the top), that hits the middle of the mortar, like 'noon' is the middle of the day.
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午
十
Vocabulary |
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南
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JLPT 5Joyo 2 |
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south
minami, NAN At the camping ground it is preferred (and therefore more expensive) to have the entrance of the tent directed towards the south.
It costs 十 Yen ¥ to have the entrance 冂 to the south.
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十
冂
Vocabulary |
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半
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JLPT 5Joyo 2 |
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half, middle
nakaba, HAN A cake 二, two candles 丷 and a cut 丨
The birthday cake with two candles is cut 丨 into half.
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十
半
丷
Vocabulary |
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協
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JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
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cooperate, arrangement
KYŌ Left: ten 十, right: 劦 (= 3x force/strength 力)
10 x 3 forces cooperate.
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十
力
Vocabulary |
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真
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JLPT 4Joyo 3 |
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truth, reality, quintessence
ma, SHIN Top: ten 十, below: tool 具 (the eyes 目 see it on the table  .)
The ten tools are truely real.
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真
目
十
具
Vocabulary |
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卒
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JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
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graduate, completion
SOTSU From top: rotary disc 亠, two persons 人, rotary disc 亠
(In the exam:) As if squeezed between two rotary discs: the graduates.
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亠
人
十
Vocabulary |
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博
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JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
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doktorate, gain, gamble, extensive, wide
HAKU, BAKU Left: ten 十, right: var. of wholly, exclusively 専 (The soil 一 is penetrated by a (single) sprout 丨 in the rice field 田, cared for by a skillful hand 寸, which is exclusive.)
(Gratitude of the patients:) Tenfold is the whole gain of a doctor.
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十
専
由
寸
Vocabulary |
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支
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JLPT 2Joyo 5 |
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support, sustain, hold, branch(office)
sasaeru, SHI Top: branch 十, below: hand 又
A branch in the hand as support (of the branch office).
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支
十
Vocabulary |
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準
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JLPT 2Joyo 5 |
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Level, conform, semi-, quasi-
JUN Top: water 氵 and bird 隹, bottom: twig 十 (cf. 支)
(to be closer to the water:) The waterbirds are sitting on a twig/branch on a semi-level.
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氵
隹
十
Vocabulary |
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徳
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JLPT 1Joyo 5 |
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virtue, merit
TOKU Left: go 彳, right: ten 十, eye 罒, heart 心
Going with ten eyes and one heart demands virtue.
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彳
十
罒
心
Vocabulary |
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裁
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JLPT 1Joyo 6 |
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judge, decide, to tailor
sabaku, tatsu, SAI Top/right: ten 十, var. of halberd 戈, with additions, below: clothes 衣
Whether he used the 10 halberds to tailer clothes, is what the judge = 裁 判官 [さいばん･かん] shall decide.
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十
戈
衣
Vocabulary |
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針
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JLPT 2Joyo 6 |
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needle, pin, pointer
hari, SHIN Left: metal, gold 金 (Covered  in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: ten 十
It is made of metal and pointed like the number ten (= 十): A needle!
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金
十
Vocabulary |
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克
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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overcome, intense, skillfully, severe
KOKU Top: ten 十, below: elder brother 兄 (A big mouth 口 on legs 儿)
Ten elder brothers will overcome.
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十
兄
儿
Vocabulary |
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砕
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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break, smash, crush
kudaku/keru, SAI Left: stone 石 (Below the cliff 厂 are stones 口), right: nine 九, ten 十
A stone makes it in nine out of ten cases: to break.
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石
九
十
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栽
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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plantation, planting, cultivation, plant
SAI Left: ten 十, tree 木, right: halberd 戈
(If necessary, the halberd can be used as a plow:) Ten trees can (by use of a halberd) be planted.
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十
戈
木
Vocabulary |
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載
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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load (luggage), put on, carry, publish
noru/seru, SAI Outside: halberd 戈, ten 十, below: vehicle 車
With ten halberds the vehicle was loaded and sth. about it was published.
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十
車
戈
Vocabulary |
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索
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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cord, string, rope, search, seek
SAKU From top: ten 十, cover 冖, thread 糸
Ten covered threads make that string/rope, you were searching for.
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十
冖
糸
Vocabulary |
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汁
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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juice, soup
shiru, JŪ Left: water 氵 right: ten 十 (Here 十 as simplification of 录, which is the right portion of green: 緑 = squeezing hand ヨ makes liquid 水 to drop.)
The 'water' dropping down, when squeezing by hand is a juice (or soup).
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氵
录
十
Vocabulary |
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盾
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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shield, resist, disobey, defiantly, escutcheon
tate, JUN Left: shield 厂, right: ten 十, eye 目
A shield with 10 eyes as the symbol for: 'shield' and to resist.
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厂
十
目
Vocabulary |
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升
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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liquid measure (1.8 l), to increase
masu, SHŌ Left: var. of person 亻, right: ten 十
A person feels like ten after a SHŌ of sake.
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亻
十
Vocabulary |
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慎
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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self-control, refrain, careful, abstain, be discreet, prudent
tsutsushimu, SHIN Left: feeling 忄, right: truth 真 (The ten 十 tools 具 are really true.)
Combine the feelings for the truth with: self-control!
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忄
真
十
具
Vocabulary |
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迅
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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rapid, fast, swift, intense
hayai, JIN Left: movement 辶, right: ten 十 and simplification of a crane (cf. to fly 飛)
Ten cranes move rapidly.
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辶
飛
十
Vocabulary |
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粋
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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chic, tasteful, stylish, essence, smart, sophisticated
iki, SUI Left: rice/USA 米, right: nine 九, ten 十
Rice/USA is in nine out of ten cases: chic.
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米
九
十
Vocabulary |
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酔
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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drunk, tipsy, dizzy
you, SUI Left: wine mug 酉, right: nine 九 out of ten 十
Alcohol with 90% makes you drunk.
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酉
九
十
Vocabulary |
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繊
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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fine, slender, fiber, slim
SEN Left: thread 糸, right: halberd 戈 with ten 十, hollow 业 (= hollow vent of an extinct vulcano)
Like 'threads' are the ten hollow halberds: such fine.
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糸
十
业
戈
Vocabulary |
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喪
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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mourn, loss, miss, death
mo, SŌ From top: ten 十, two mouths 口, simple var. of clothes 衣
A cross 十, two coffins/cascets 口 and simple clothes are signs of mourning. (Or: It is also sorrow 哀 with two holes ロロ in the clothes 衣.)
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口
十
哀
Vocabulary |
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賊
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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burglar, thief, rebel, traitor, robber
ZOKU From left: shell/money 貝, ten 十, halberd 戈
He got money and ten halberds. The burglar!
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貝
十
戈
Vocabulary |
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卓
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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eminent, excellent, table
TAKU Top: divination 占 (crack 卜 in the shell 口 of a turtle used for divination), below: early/fast 早 (When the (rising 旦) sun 日 is at the marked spot 丶 at the horizon 一, it is still early.)
(Already at breakfast he realized the problem:) The divination came up early that a table would be excellent.
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十
占
卜
早
Vocabulary |
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聴
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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listen carefully, hear
kiku, CHŌ Left: ear 耳, right: var. of virtue 徳 (ten 十, eye 罒, heart 心; not there: "go" 彳)
Your ear shall (do it with virtue) thus as if with 10 eyes and the heart: To listen carefully.
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耳
十
罒
心
Vocabulary |
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卑
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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ignoble, lowly, shabby, base, vulgar
iyashii/shimu, HI From top: accent ノ, field 田, accent ノ, ten 十
I have already emphasized twice that this field is ten times ignoble.
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十
ノ
Vocabulary |
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枠
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JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
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frame, limit
waku, Left: tree 木, right: nine 九, ten 十
From one tree you can make nine or ten frames.
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木
九
十
Vocabulary |
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戴
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JLPT -Joyo 7 |
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be crowned with, (polite:) receive
itadaku, TAI From top: ten 十, halberd 戈; curious/strange 異 (Put a rice paddy 田 together 共 (with other paddies) and you will see how strange they are.)
He received ten strange halberds at the coronation.
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十
異
戈
共
Vocabulary |
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| Similar Radicals (either meaning or view) |  |
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