八十四 (bā shí sì) — eighty-four

Definition

numeral
eighty-four

Examples

  • 八十四。
    Tā jīn nián yǐ jīng bā shí sì suì le.
    He is already eighty-four years old this year.
  • 八十四。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì tā kǎo le bā shí sì fēn.
    He scored eighty-four on this exam.
  • 八十四。
    Mén pái hào mǎ shì bā shí sì hào.
    The house number is eighty-four.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

八十
八bāeight十shíten
偏正Modifier + head
四sìfour

八十 (eighty) and 四 (four) combine to express the number eighty-four.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

八 shows two bent lines, indicating the original meaning 'to divide'; it was later used for 'eight' because the words sounded alike.

Open 八 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

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