五

• Pinyin: wǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 五 = two horizontal lines with a cross between them, an abstract representation of the number five

Meaning

Five. The number 5.

One of the basic Chinese numerals. Five holds cultural significance in China: there are five elements (五行), five flavours (五味), and five colours (五色) in traditional philosophy. Used extensively in daily life for counting, time, and addresses.

Examples

1. 我有五本书。 I have five books.
2. 现在是五点钟。 It is five o'clock now.
3. 他每天工作五个小时。 He works five hours every day.

Usage Guide

Context: numbers, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请给我五个苹果。(Please give me five apples.)
• 我们五个人一起去。(The five of us go together.)

Don't Say

• 我有五的书。(Wrong — say 我有五本书; numbers need a measure word before the noun, not 的)

Origin & History

The character 五 features two horizontal lines connected by a cross, originally representing the five elements or the number five through abstract symbolism.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal