HSK 5 · Ideas

数 shù “number” in Chinese

Traditional 數

What 数 means

  1. number
  2. figure
  3. several
  4. a few

How to say 数

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale数shù4th tone, falling

数 in a sentence

  1. 快乐不需要数百万的钱。

    Kuàilè bù xūyào shù bǎiwàn de qián.

    You don’t need millions to be happy.

    Sentence #743053 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 数 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 数 (shù) with each of its parts in a different colour
数shùnumber; figure
  • 娄a constellation · LóuSound part
  • 攵tap form of 攴 · pūMeaning part

攵 hints at the meaning (tap); 娄 (Lóu) hints at the sound. Compare it with shù.

How to write 数

数 13 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

数 (shù) stroke order chart: each stroke of the character in the order you write it
Stroke order chart for 数 (shù). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 数

Words with 数

More words: Ideas & Concepts

FAQs

数 (shù) means “number” or “figure”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it shù: shù with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 数 is written 數. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type shu with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 数 from the suggestions. Typing shu into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
数 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

Turn words into conversations

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.