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十中八九 is one of my favorite phrases. I don't use it that much, but it is still
one of my favorites all the same. Almost every dictionary I have used
translates it as "nine times out of ten," which I think is wrong, since the
kanji for 八 is also in it. The only exception is jisho.org, [which says it's
eight or nine times out of
ten](http://jisho.org/search/%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%AB%E4%B9%9D), which I'm
assuming is more correct. In a cruel twist of irony, however, even the example
sentence on jisho.org ignored the 八 kanji!

So is the gap in translation here due to the fact that in English we say 9
times out of 10, where the Japanese say 8 or 9 times out of ten? In other
words, is the difference between these phrases cultural?

I can't help but think of the Dragon Ball Z translation where the Japanese
"八千以上!" is translated to English as "It's over 9000!" However, I doubt that
there's a connection in these two cases.

Also, am I correct in understanding 十中八九 as "Out of 10, 8 or 9 (times)?" I've
never been 100% confident on how to break it down.
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2017-06-12T14:19:26.220
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etymology culture
How does 十中八九 break down to mean 9 times out of 10 when there is 八 in the phrase?
Goo dictionary and my dictionary also explain it as "8 or 9 times out of ten".
I think we usually think so.

As for Dragon Ball, I have no idea why "八千以上" is translated as "It's over
9000!". The translator may have added some power.
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I think your interpretation is correct. At the most basic interpretation, 十中八九
"Within 10; 8, 9." 9 times out of 10 might be a basic extrapolation on a
phrase that is more likely to mean "a vast majority of the time"

Aside from this, Japanese tend to use two numbers in sequence when they are
referring to approximations (think 二三日 for "a couple of days" or "several
days")
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