Meaning of 五
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- five
- 5
How to use 五
五 (wǔ) is the everyday word for the number five and combines with other numbers, like 五十 (wǔshí) fifty and 第五 (dìwǔ) fifth. It also shows up in many idioms, such as 五颜六色 (wǔyán-liùsè) multicolored. Example: 我有五本书。(Wǒ yǒu wǔ běn shū.) I have five books.
五 (wǔ) looks like a small frame: a line on top, a line on the bottom, and a crossing shape in the middle. Picture the middle part as a hand holding up the top, using all five fingers.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 五 with a flat or rising tone, but it is third tone, wǔ. Also do not confuse it with 午 (wǔ, noon), which has the same sound but a different shape and meaning.
五 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
五 wǔ · five · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 五.
| 五颜六色 | wǔyán-liùsè | multicolored; every color under the sun |
| 五星级 | wǔxīngjí | five-star (hotel) |
| 三番五次 | sānfān-wǔcì | over and over again (idiom) |
| 五花八门 | wǔhuā-bāmén | myriad; all kinds of |
| 第五 | dìwǔ | fifth |
| 五十 | wǔshí | fifty |
| 十五 | shíwǔ | fifteen; 15 |
| 五号 | wǔhào | the fifth; fifth day of a month |
| 五金店 | wǔjīndiàn | hardware store; ironmonger's store |
| 四分五裂 | sìfēnwǔliè | (idiom) fragmented; scattered; in disarray; at sixes and sevens |
| 一五一十 | yīwǔyīshí | lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail |
| 五星 | wǔxīng | the five visible planets, namely: Mercury 水星, Venus 金星, Mars 火星, Jupiter 木星, Saturn 土星 |
Questions about 五
What does 五 mean?
五 (wǔ) means "five; 5" and is used as a numeral.
How do you write 五?
五 is made of 1 character: 五 (4 strokes). That is 4 strokes in total.
Is 五 an HSK word?
Yes. 五 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How does the tone of 五 change before another third-tone word?
When 五 comes before another third tone, it is usually said with a rising tone, as in 五百 (wǔbǎi), pronounced closer to wúbǎi. The written pinyin normally still shows wǔ.
Do I need a measure word after 五?
Yes. Before a noun you need a measure word, for example 五个人 (wǔ ge rén) five people. You cannot say 五人 in casual speech in most cases, though it appears in formal writing.