四
sì
Four
四 (sì) is the number four in Mandarin Chinese. It's used for counting, quantities, and as part of larger numbers, just like 'four' in English.
What does 四 (sì) mean?
四 (sì) means “four” in English.
When to use it
Neutral. It's used in all contexts. When saying phone numbers or addresses, each digit is usually pronounced individually. Be aware of its cultural connotation.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like 'suh' or 'see' with a falling tone. The 's' is soft, almost like 'ts'. The tone drops sharply from high to low.
Other ways to say it
- 四个sì gefour (of something, with measure word)
- 第四dì sìfourth (ordinal number)
- 四月sì yuèApril (the fourth month)
Examples
我有四本书。
wǒ yǒu sì běn shū.
I have four books.
这是第四个苹果。
zhè shì dì sì ge píngguǒ.
This is the fourth apple.
现在是四点半。
xiànzài shì sì diǎn bàn.
It's half past four now.
Pro tip: In Chinese culture, the number four (四) is often considered unlucky because its pronunciation (sì) is very similar to the word for death (死, sǐ). You might notice buildings skipping the 4th floor or phone numbers avoiding it.
Related phrases
一二三四五六七八九十 · 1 to 10一二三 · 1 2 3十 · 10
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