屈指可数 (qū zhǐ kě shǔ) — very few (lit. can be counted on one's fingers)

Definition

Chengyu meaning 'can be counted on the fingers' — used to emphasize that something is extremely few. Pairs with 寥寥可数 as a near-synonym, but 屈指可数 leans more toward concrete countable items.

idiom
very few (lit. can be counted on one's fingers)

Examples

  • 屈指可数。
    Xiàng tā zhè yàng de rén cái shí zài qū zhǐ kě shǔ.
    People with his talent are truly few and far between.
  • 屈指可数。
    Néng qǔ dé rú cǐ chéng jiù de kē xué jiā qū zhǐ kě shǔ.
    The scientists who achieve such accomplishments are very few.
  • ，屈指可数。
    Zài tā de yì shēng zhōng, kuài lè de rì zi qū zhǐ kě shǔ.
    In his life, happy days were few and far between.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尾尾wěitail
Sound part声符shēngfú
出
出chū屈qū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

屈 was built from 出 for sound and 尾 for tail; the tail part later changed into the top of 屈.

Open 屈 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.