Meaning & use
ten-four
Last updated
Meanings
interjectioninformal
Used on a two-way radio to mean that a message has been received and understood.
Grammar: Said on its own as a complete reply, not followed by an object.
The trucker spoke into the radio: 'Ten-four, I'm heading south on the highway.'
'Ten-four,' the dispatcher replied, and the call ended.
He pressed the button and said 'Ten-four' to confirm he had heard the order.
interjectioninformalhumorous
Used in casual speech to mean 'okay' or 'I understand', often humorously.
Grammar: Said as a short response; it does not take an object or a clause after it.
'Meet you at seven?' 'Ten-four.'
She gave a little salute and said, 'Ten-four, boss,' which made everyone laugh.
When I told him the plan, he just nodded and said, 'Ten-four.'
Common combinations
- say ten-four
- He said ten-four and put the radio down.
- ten-four, good buddy
- The phrase 'ten-four, good buddy' became famous from trucker movies.
- over and out
- Radio users often say 'ten-four' before 'over and out'.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: ten-four or 10-4?
ten-four vs 10-4
This is just another way of writing the same code, using numbers instead of words.
Practice
A truck driver hears an instruction on the radio and wants to say he understood it. What is the most natural reply?
Choose one answer.
'Ten-four' stands alone as a complete response, so option 0 fits. The other options wrongly add an object or subject, which this interjection never takes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ten-four”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.