Definition
数 (shǔ) is the everyday verb for counting items one by one (people, money, etc.). It differs from 计 (jì), which is more formal and appears in compounds like 计算 (calculate) or 统计 (statistics). For the sense 'to count as', 数 is similar to 算是 (suàn shì), but 数 is more direct and often used in specific contexts like 'only the top five count'.
to countto enumerateto count asto regard as
Easily confused
- 楼lóulook-alikebuilding (with more than one story)
- 书shūsound-alikebook
- 搂lǒulook-aliketo hug, to embrace
- 输shūsound-aliketo lose (a competition, game, or argument)
- 屡lǚlook-alikerepeatedly, time and again (formal/literary; commonly used in 屡次)
- 树shùsound-aliketree
- 属shǔsound-aliketo belong to, to be affiliated with
- 束shùsound-alike(classifier) for bunches, bundles, or beams of light
- 赎shúsound-aliketo redeem (an item from pawn or pledge)
- 竖shùsound-alike(adjective) vertical, upright
Examples
- 数？Nǐ néng shǔ yíxià zhèlǐ yǒu duōshao rén ma?Can you count how many people are here?
- 数，。Tā shǔ le sān biàn, cái quèdìng shùzì méi cuò.He counted three times before confirming the number was correct.
- 数。Zhè cì bǐsài zhǐ shǔ qián wǔ míng.In this competition, only the top five count.
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