numeral HSK 1
five · 5
Meaning
The number five in Chinese. It is one of the most basic counting numbers and appears in countless everyday contexts, from telling time to counting objects to forming dates.
Usage
Used in all the same ways as 'five' in English: counting, ordering, math, dates, etc. Note that when reciting phone numbers or in noisy environments, Chinese speakers often say 'yāo' (幺) for '1' to avoid confusion with '7' (qī), but '五' (wǔ) remains unchanged. It's part of fundamental number literacy from early childhood.
Examples
- 01我有五个苹果。.I have five apples.
- 02今天是五月五号。.Today is May 5th.
Common collocations
- 五天five days
- 五个人five people
- 五月May (fifth month)
- 星期五Friday
Origin
The character 五 is an ancient pictograph that originally depicted five horizontal lines, later stylized into the current form with crossing strokes.