HSK 1

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

四个人。
Sì gè rén.
Four people.
四岁。
Sì suì.
Four years old.
四个。
Sì gè.
Four.
我有四个苹果。
Wǒ yǒu sì gè píngguǒ.
I have four apples.
这张桌子有四条腿。
Zhè zhāng zhuōzi yǒu sì tiáo tuǐ.
The table has four legs.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 四 as a box with four corners—the character resembles a square or window with four sides. Associate it with common phrases like 四月 (April, the fourth month) to reinforce its meaning.

📝 Usage Notes

四 is used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly used in dates (e.g., 四月 for April), addresses, ages, quantities, and ordinal numbers (e.g., 第四 for fourth). It is neutral and universally applicable.

📖 Grammar Points

四 is used as a cardinal number (e.g., 四个人 - four people) or in ordinal constructions with 第 (e.g., 第四名 - fourth place). It combines with measure words (e.g., 四本书 - four books) and follows standard numeral grammar rules.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, four is sometimes considered unlucky because it sounds similar to 死 (sǐ, death), especially in contexts like phone numbers or addresses. However, this is a superstition and not universally observed; in formal usage, 四 is neutral and essential.

🔄 Similar Words

四 is similar to other numerals like 三 (sān, three) and 五 (wǔ, five) in structure and usage. It differs in that it specifically denotes the number four, and in some dialects or contexts, it may be avoided due to homophony with 死 (sǐ, death), but this is not standard in Mandarin.

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