Meaning of 数码
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- number
- numerals
- figures
- digital
- amount
- numerical code
How to use 数码
In modern Chinese, 数码 is most often used like an adjective for digital devices and technology, as in 数码相机 (shùmǎ xiàngjī, digital camera) or 数码产品 (shùmǎ chǎnpǐn, digital products). Example: 我想买一台数码相机。 (Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tái shùmǎ xiàngjī.) I want to buy a digital camera.
数 (shù) means number or to count, and 码 (mǎ) means a code or a numbered mark. Put them together and you get numbers turned into code, which is the idea behind digital.
Common mistake: Learners often read 数 here as the verb shǔ (to count), but in 数码 it is the fourth tone shù. Also do not use 数码 for a phone number or a math figure in a sentence. Use 号码 (hàomǎ) for phone numbers and 数字 (shùzì) for digits.
数码 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.
数 shǔ · to count · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
码 mǎ · agate · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 数码.
| 数字 | shùzì | numeral; digit |
| 大多数 | dàduōshù | (great) majority |
| 人数 | rénshù | number of people |
| 多数 | duōshù | majority; most |
| 少数 | shǎoshù | small number; few |
| 分数 | fēnshù | (exam) grade; mark |
| 数量 | shùliàng | amount; quantity; quantitative |
| 号码 | hàomǎ | number |
| 密码 | mìmǎ | cipher; secret code; password; PIN |
| 数据 | shùjù | data |
| 无数 | wúshù | countless; numberless |
| 码头 | mǎtóu | wharf; dock; quay; pier |
Questions about 数码
What does 数码 mean?
数码 (shùmǎ) means "number; numerals" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 数码?
数码 is made of 2 characters: 数 (13 strokes), 码 (8 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 数码 an HSK word?
Yes. 数码 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 数码 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 数码 is written 數碼.
What is the difference between 数码 and 数字?
数字 (shùzì) is the everyday word for a digit or number, like the number 5. Both can mean digital, but 数码 is common for consumer electronics such as cameras and gadgets, while 数字 is used for broader ideas like 数字经济 (shùzì jīngjì, digital economy).
Can 数码 stand alone as a noun?
Yes, it can mean numerals or a numerical code, and people may say 数码 to mean gadgets in general, as in a 数码店 (shùmǎ diàn, electronics shop). In everyday speech, though, it usually appears before another noun.