四 sì four
How to remember 四: 囗 enclosed + 丿 slash + ㇄ hook = four. In the enclosed garden a boy cuts a slash in his cake, hangs his party hat on a hook and tells the guests "Today I am four!"
Component breakdown
四 = 囗 enclosed + 丿 slash + ㇄ hook
- 囗 enclosed
- 丿 slash
- ㇄ hook
In the enclosed garden a boy cuts a slash in his cake, hangs his party hat on a hook and tells the guests "Today I am four!"
How it is used
- Four - 四个 (sì ge) four of, 四月 (sìyuè) April.
- An unlucky number: it sounds like 死 (sǐ) 'death', so floors and room numbers with 4 are often skipped.
Words with 四
- 四季sìjìthe four seasonsHSK 3
- 四周sìzhōuall aroundHSK 5
- 四处sìchùall over the placeHSK 5
- 四方sìfāngfour-wayHSK 7
- 四面八方sìmiàn-bāfāngall directionsHSK 7
- 丢三落四diūsān-làsìforgetfulHSK 8
- 五湖四海wǔhú-sìhǎiall parts of the countryHSK 8
- 四肢sìzhīthe four limbs of the bodyHSK 8
- 四通八达sìtōng-bādároads open in all directions (idiom)HSK 8
- 朝三暮四zhāosān-mùsìliterally say three in the morning but four in the eveningHSK 9
Example sentences
- 我家有四个人。 Wǒ jiā yǒu sì gè rén.There are four people in my family.
- 他家一共有四口人。 Tā jiā yīgòng yǒu sì kǒu rén.There are four people in his family.