数 (shǔ) — to count, to enumerate; to count as, to regard as
Definition
数 (shǔ) is the everyday verb 'to count' — going through items one by one to find a total. It can also mean 'to count as / regard as' (e.g. 只数前三).
to countto enumerateto count asto regard as
Easily confused
Examples
- 数？Nǐ néng shǔ yí xià zhè lǐ yǒu duō shǎo rén ma?Can you count how many people are here?
- 数，。Tā shǔ le sān biàn, cái què dìng shù zì méi cuò.He counted three times before confirming the number was correct.
- 数。Zhè cì bǐ sài zhī shǔ qián wǔ míng.In this competition, only the top five count.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
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