thirty

1.numberA1

Definition

the number 30, used when counting things, stating ages, or giving measurements such as temperature or distance

Example

Yan invited thirty classmates to his birthday party at the park.

The temperature outside reached thirty degrees by noon today.

collocation: thirty degrees (temperature)

Common collocations

thirty people
thirty years
thirty minutes
thirty degrees
thirty dollars
thirty passengers

Common Mistakes

She is thirty years.

She is thirty years old.

When stating age, include 'old' or simply say 'She is thirty.' without 'years'.

1.nounA1

Definition

the number 30 when thought of as a name, written figure, or mathematical value, rather than as a quantity of things

Example

Thirty is my lucky number, so I chose seat thirty on the train.

thirty used as a noun subject

Write the number thirty at the top of your answer sheet.

Common collocations

number thirty
size thirty
page thirty
thirty plus thirty
thirty times two

Usage Note

Unlike the number sense, this noun form can take determiners (the thirty, a thirty) and can be plural (thirties) when referring to multiple instances of the figure.

Common Mistakes

I have thirty of apples.

I have thirty apples.

When counting things, use thirty as a determiner, not a noun followed by 'of.'

2.nounA2

Definition

the range of numbers from 30 up to 39, used especially to describe a person's age or the years in a century

Example

Élise is in her thirties and works as a nurse at the city hospital.

in + possessive + thirties (age range)

The temperature in July often stays in the low thirties in southern Spain.

Common collocations

in her thirties
early thirties
mid thirties
late thirties
the nineteen thirties
low thirties

Grammar Patterns

in + possessive + thirties

the + year + thirties

Usage Note

For age, always use the plural form 'thirties' with a possessive determiner (my, his, her, their): 'in his thirties.' For temperature or historical decades, simply use 'the thirties' without a possessive. Common modifiers include 'early,' 'mid,' and 'late.'

Common Mistakes

She is in thirty.

She is in her thirties.

Age ranges always use the plural form with a possessive determiner.

He is thirty's old.

He is thirty years old.

Do not use a possessive form for exact age.

3.nounC2

Definition

a traditional mark, often written as the figure 30 inside dashes (—30—), that reporters and editors use to show that a news article or story is finished and ready to be published

Example

The reporter typed —30— at the bottom of the article to mark the end.

—30— symbol for story completion

In old newsrooms, editors expected writers to put thirty at the end of each story.

Common collocations

type —30—
mark with thirty
put thirty at the end

Usage Note

This convention is largely historical. Most modern newsrooms use digital publishing systems and no longer write —30— on articles. Learners may encounter it in books or films about journalism.

4.nounB1

Definition

the second point that a player or team wins in one game of tennis, worth 30 points in the traditional scoring system

Example

The score is thirty–love after Rachid won the first two points.

thirty–love (tennis scoring)

Quinn served well and quickly reached thirty in the third game.

Common collocations

thirty–love
fifteen–thirty
thirty–thirty
thirty–forty
reach thirty
win thirty

Grammar Patterns

thirty + love / fifteen / forty

Usage Note

In tennis, 'thirty' is always spoken as a word, not read as a numeral. It is never the actual number 30 — it is simply the name for the second point. After thirty comes forty (the third point), and then game.

Common Mistakes

The score is 30–0.' (in spoken tennis)

The score is thirty

love.' — Tennis scores are always said as words, not numbers, during play.

Word family

thirtieth
adjectiveA2
thirtieth
nounA2
thirty-something
nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties all describe ranges of ten years, either for a person's age or for a historical decade. 'Thirties' refers specifically to ages 30–39 or the years 30–39 in a century. 'Forties' and 'fifties' follow the same pattern but shift the range upward by ten years each time. When discussing age, these words are always plural and used with a possessive determiner: 'in his thirties,' 'in her forties.' For historical decades, both 'the nineteen thirties' and 'the 1930s' are common. A useful distinction is that 'early thirties' (ages 30–33) describes a different life stage than 'late thirties' (ages 37–39), whereas 'mid thirties' (ages 34–36) falls between. Adding 'early,' 'mid,' or 'late' before any of these words adds precision that helps the listener understand exactly what life period is meant.

thirtiesfortiesfiftiessixties

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

thirty and over
thirty and under
the big three-oh
thirty-something

Prepositions

in one's thirties
by thirty
over thirty
under thirty

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Thirty comes from Old English 'þritig', which combines 'þrī' (three) with the suffix '-tig' (group of ten) — literally meaning 'three tens.' Close relatives appear in other Germanic languages: Dutch 'dertig' and German 'dreißig' share the same origin. The word has stayed remarkably stable in form and meaning for over a thousand years.

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thirty

thirty — number

1. the number 30, used when counting things, stating ages, or giving measurements s

Common Mistakes

thirty — noun

1. the number 30 when thought of as a name, written figure, or mathematical value,

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the range of numbers from 30 up to 39, used especially to describe a person's ag

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. a traditional mark, often written as the figure 30 inside dashes (—30—), that re

Usage Note

4. the second point that a player or team wins in one game of tennis, worth 30 poin

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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