thirty
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /θˈɜːti/
US
- /ˈθɜrˌdi/
- /ˈθɜrˌti/
Description
- The number 30
- Three tens
- A stated age
- A count or amount
- A tennis score
"Thirty" is the number that means three tens. It is used for counting people, things, days, years, or any other amount. You might talk about thirty students in a class, thirty dollars in your wallet, or thirty days in a month. It is also common when talking about age, as in someone turning thirty. In tennis, "thirty" is the name for one of the scores in a game.
In everyday English, the word often appears in simple, practical phrases such as "thirty minutes," "thirty percent," or "thirty years." It can feel important in some situations, especially when talking about age or long periods of time, but its main job is still to name an exact number.
"Thirty" is the cardinal number equal to three times ten. In English, it is used whenever we need to name an exact amount of 30. It can describe quantity, age, time, distance, price, percentage, or order in a set. You might see it in phrases like "thirty books," "thirty miles," "thirty dollars," "thirty days," or "thirty years old." It is a basic number word used in both speech and writing.
The word appears in many common contexts: Time and Measurement:* We often speak of a "thirty-minute break" or a "thirty-day money-back guarantee." In retail, "thirty percent off" is a standard benchmark for a meaningful discount. Sports:* In tennis, "thirty" is the second point won in a game (following fifteen and preceding forty). Journalism:* Historically, the mark "-30-" was used by reporters to signify the end of a story or press release. Age and Life Stages:* People often mention it when talking about birthdays or periods of life, such as "turning thirty" or "in your thirties." Counting and Description:* It can simply name how many items, people, or ideas there are, as in "thirty guests" or "thirty reasons."
Most of the time, the meaning is straightforward: it tells us the number of something. Any extra feeling it carries usually comes from the situation, not from the word itself. In that way, "thirty" is simple, exact, and widely used across everyday English.
Examples
- 1
Time
The bus should be here in thirty minutes.
- 2
Price
Tickets are thirty dollars if you buy them online.
- 3
Attendance
About thirty people came to the meeting.
- 4
Part of a group
Thirty of the students passed the final exam.
Pattern
thirty of + group
this number from a larger group
- 5
Birthday
She's turning thirty next month.
- 6
Age range
He started his own business in his thirties.
Pattern
in someone's thirties
when that person is between 30 and 39 years old
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- thirtynounadjective