The character 数 — “number”: how to write it and what it means
number
The Chinese character 数 is read shù and means “number”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 数
数 has 13 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 数, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 数 is made of
Its second reading is shǔ, “count”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 数
- 数学mathHSK 3
- 数量quantity, amountHSK 4
- 数字digit, numberHSK 4
- 多数majorityHSK 4
- 少数minorityHSK 4
- 人数number of peopleHSK 4
- 分数grade, scoreHSK 4
- 无数countlessHSK 5
- 总数total numberHSK 5
- 数据dataHSK 5
- 岁数age, years (colloq.)HSK 6
- 次数number of timesHSK 6
- 数目number, amountHSK 6
- 数字化digitize; digitalizationHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 数?
数 has 13 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 数 mean?
数 means “number”. It appears in 数学 (“math”), 数量 (“quantity”), 数字 (“digit”), 多数 (“majority”).
How do you pronounce 数?
数 is read shù. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 数 have?
13 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 数 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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