shù / shǔ: 数 - Number / To Count

• Keywords: Chinese word for number, how to count in Chinese, shù meaning, shǔ meaning, Chinese character 数, pinyin shu, Mandarin number, Chinese math, cultural meaning of numbers in China, learn Chinese numbers.
• Summary: Discover the versatile Chinese character 数, a cornerstone of the Mandarin language. This single character holds two primary meanings and pronunciations: shù, the noun for “number” or “figure,” and shǔ, the verb “to count.” Learn how to use 数 in everyday conversation, from counting objects and discussing mathematics (数学 shùxué) to understanding its deeper cultural significance related to fate and destiny. This guide provides practical examples, cultural insights, and common mistakes to help you master this essential Chinese word.

The character 数 is a classic example of a polyphonic character (多音字 duōyīnzì), meaning it has multiple pronunciations tied to different meanings.

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1. As a Noun (shù)

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shù
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A digit, figure, quantity, or number; can also refer to fate or destiny.
• In a Nutshell: When pronounced shù, this character represents the concept of a “number” itself. It's the 'what' of quantity—the answer you get after you've finished counting. It's the foundation for everything from simple arithmetic and phone numbers (号码 hàomǎ) to complex mathematics (数学 shùxué) and even abstract ideas like an “amount” or “quantity” (数量 shùliàng).

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2. As a Verb (shǔ)

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shǔ
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To count, to enumerate; to be considered as.
• In a Nutshell: When pronounced shǔ, this character is the *action* of counting. It’s the process you perform to determine the shù (number). A simple way to remember this is: you shǔ the books on a shelf to find out their shù. It can also be used figuratively, meaning “to be considered as” or “to rank among the best.”

• 数 is a phono-semantic compound character, combining a sound component and a meaning component.
• 娄 (lóu): This part on top originally depicted a woman, but here it primarily provides the phonetic sound.
• 攵 (pū): This radical on the bottom right means “to tap” or “to strike gently.” It depicts a hand holding a stick, suggesting action.
• How they combine: The character visually suggests the action (攵) of tallying or organizing things, which leads to the concept of a “number.” Think of an ancient scholar tapping items with a stick one by one to count them. This single image beautifully captures both the action of counting (shǔ) and the resulting concept of a number (shù).

In Chinese culture, 数 (shù) goes far beyond simple mathematics. Numbers are often imbued with deep symbolic meaning and are closely linked to concepts of fate, fortune, and harmony.

• Numerology and Fortune: Unlike the purely secular view of numbers in most Western contexts, certain numbers in China are considered lucky or unlucky based on how their pronunciation sounds.
  • Lucky: The number 8 (八 bā) is extremely auspicious because it sounds like 发 (fā), as in 发财 (fācái), meaning “to get rich.”
  • Unlucky: The number 4 (四 sì) is avoided because it sounds like 死 (sǐ), meaning “death.” This is why many buildings in China skip the 4th floor.
• 数 as Destiny: The term 气数 (qìshù), literally “qi-number,” refers to fate or destiny. It carries the idea that a person's, or even a dynasty's, fortune is pre-ordained or “numbered.” This is comparable to the Western phrase “one's number is up,” but qìshù is broader, covering the entire rise and fall of one's luck, not just death. This philosophical layer gives shù a depth that the English word “number” lacks.

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Using 数 (shù) - The Noun As a noun, shù is a building block for many common words related to quantity and mathematics.

• In Education and Business: You'll constantly encounter 数学 (shùxué) (mathematics), 数据 (shùjù) (data), and 数量 (shùliàng) (quantity).
• In Daily Life: People talk about 数字 (shùzì) (digits, numbers) when referring to passwords, statistics, or figures.
• Describing Quantity: It's used to form words like 无数 (wúshù) (countless) and 少数 (shǎoshù) (minority/a small number).

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Using 数 (shǔ) - The Verb As a verb, shǔ is used for the physical act of counting and for figurative ranking.

• Simple Counting: A parent might ask a child, “你会数到十吗？” (Nǐ huì shǔ dào shí ma? - Can you count to ten?).
• Figurative Ranking: The popular idiom 数一数二 (shǔ yī shǔ èr), literally “to count one or two,” means “among the best” or “second to none.”
• Informal Usage: You might say “数你最快” (Shǔ nǐ zuì kuài), which means “You're the fastest (among us),” literally “counting you as the fastest.”

(Examples for shù - number)

• Example 1:
  • 我最不喜欢的科目是数学。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì bù xǐhuān de kēmù shì shùxué.
  • English: My least favorite subject is mathematics.
  • Analysis: Here, 数 (shù) is part of the compound word 数学 (shùxué), showing its direct connection to the academic field of numbers.
• Example 2:
  • 请输入您的六位数字密码。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng shūrù nín de liù wèi shùzì mìmǎ.
  • English: Please enter your six-digit password.
  • Analysis: 数字 (shùzì) refers to the individual digits or figures that make up a number. This is a very common phrase in the digital age.
• Example 3:
  • 今年我们公司的利润数额很大。
  • Pinyin: Jīnnián wǒmen gōngsī de lìrùn shù'é hěn dà.
  • English: Our company's profit amount is very large this year.
  • Analysis: 数额 (shù'é) is a more formal term for “amount” or “sum,” often used in finance or business contexts.
• Example 4:
  • 天上有无数颗星星。
  • Pinyin: Tiānshàng yǒu wúshù kē xīngxīng.
  • English: There are countless stars in the sky.
  • Analysis: 无数 (wúshù) combines 无 (wú - without) and 数 (shù - number) to mean “countless” or “innumerable,” a highly descriptive and common adjective.
• Example 5:
  • 只有少数人知道这个秘密。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyǒu shǎoshù rén zhīdào zhège mìmì.
  • English: Only a few people (a minority) know this secret.
  • Analysis: 少数 (shǎoshù) combines 少 (shǎo - few) and 数 (shù - number) to mean “a small number of” or “minority.”

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(Examples for shǔ - to count)

• Example 6:
  • 你能帮我数一下这里有多少本书吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ shǔ yīxià zhèlǐ yǒu duōshǎo běn shū ma?
  • English: Can you help me count how many books are here?
  • Analysis: This is the most direct use of shǔ as the verb “to count.” The “一下 (yīxià)” softens the request, making it more polite.
• Example 7:
  • 别说话，我正在数钱。
  • Pinyin: Bié shuōhuà, wǒ zhèngzài shǔ qián.
  • English: Don't talk, I'm counting money right now.
  • Analysis: A straightforward example of using shǔ for the action of counting a physical object.
• Example 8:
  • 他的中文水平在我们班是数一数二的。
  • Pinyin: Tā de Zhōngwén shuǐpíng zài wǒmen bān shì shǔ yī shǔ èr de.
  • English: His Chinese level is one of the best in our class.
  • Analysis: This showcases the popular idiom 数一数二 (shǔ yī shǔ èr), which means “ranking at the top.” It's a great phrase to use to praise someone or something.
• Example 9:
  • 全家就数他最懒。
  • Pinyin: Quánjiā jiù shǔ tā zuì lǎn.
  • English: In the whole family, he is considered the laziest.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the figurative use of shǔ to mean “to be considered as” or “to be singled out as.” It implies you've mentally “counted” or evaluated everyone and he comes out on top for that trait.
• Example 10:
  • 你数到三，我们就开始跑。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shǔ dào sān, wǒmen jiù kāishǐ pǎo.
  • English: You count to three, and then we'll start running.
  • Analysis: A classic and practical example of shǔ used as a command for counting in sequence.

• Pronunciation is Key: The most common mistake for learners is mixing up the pronunciations. Remember: the concept is shù (4th tone, noun), the action is shǔ (3rd tone, verb).
  • Incorrect: 我要 shù 一下苹果。(I want to number the apples.)
  • Correct: 我要 shǔ 一下苹果。(I want to count the apples.)
  • Incorrect: 这里的 shǔ 是五。(The to count here is five.)
  • Correct: 这里的 shù 是五。(The number here is five.)
• 数字 (shùzì) vs. 号码 (hàomǎ): These both relate to numbers but are not interchangeable.
  • 数字 (shùzì) refers to a digit or a numerical value (e.g., “The number 7 is a lucky digit.”).
  • 号码 (hàomǎ) refers to a number used for identification (e.g., a phone number, a room number, a ticket number). You don't ask “What is your phone digit?” in English, and you don't ask for someone's 电话数字 in Chinese. The correct term is 电话号码.

• 数字 (shùzì) - A digit or figure; the symbols we use to represent numbers (0, 1, 2, 3…).
• 数学 (shùxué) - Mathematics; the academic study of numbers, quantity, and space.
• 数量 (shùliàng) - Quantity or amount; how much of something there is.
• 计算 (jìsuàn) - To calculate or compute; a more complex action than just counting.
• 号码 (hàomǎ) - An identification number (like a phone or ticket number).
• 无数 (wúshù) - Countless, innumerable; an adjective meaning “without number.”
• 少数 (shǎoshù) - Minority, a small number of.
• 个 (gè) - The most common measure word, essential for connecting a number to a noun when counting objects (e.g., 三个人 sān gè rén - three people).
• 命运 (mìngyùn) - Fate or destiny; a concept culturally linked to the philosophical meaning of 数 (shù).