十三四 (shí sān sì) — thirteen or fourteen; around thirteen or fourteen (approximate number)

Definition

A compound number meaning 'thirteen or fourteen', often used as an approximation for a number in that range. Contrast with 十三四岁 ('thirteen or fourteen years old'), which adds the age unit.

numeral
thirteen or fourteenaround thirteen or fourteen (approximate number)

Examples

  • 十三四。
    Nà ge nán hái kàn qǐ lái shí sān sì suì de yàng zi.
    That boy looks about thirteen or fourteen years old.
  • 十三四，。
    Wǒ mǎi le shí sān sì gè píng guǒ, gòu chī liǎng tiān le.
    I bought thirteen or fourteen apples, enough to eat for two days.
  • 十三四。
    Bān lǐ shí sān sì suì de xué shēng zuì duō.
    Most students in the class are around thirteen or fourteen years old.

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.

十三thirteen
十shíten三sānthree
联合Side by side
四sìfour

十三 and 四 stand together to give the approximate number thirteen or fourteen.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

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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