数 (shǔ) — to count (enumerate); to count as, to regard as
Definition
数 (shǔ) means 'to count' or 'to regard as' — narrower than 算, which also covers calculating and 'considering'. Use 数 for enumerating things or treating someone as a role.
verb
to count (enumerate)to count asto regard as
Easily confused
Examples
- 数？Nǐ néng cóng yí shǔ dào shí ma?Can you count from one to ten?
- 数。Dà jiā dōu shǔ tā wèi hǎo lǎo shī.Everyone regards him as a good teacher.
- 数。Tā shǔ qián de shí hou hěn rèn zhēn.He is very serious when counting money.
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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