四 sì — four; 4
一年有四个季节。Yì nián yǒu sì ge jì jié.There are four seasons in a year.
Common words: 四季 (sì jì)、四处 (sì chù)、四周 (sì zhōu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "four"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "four", including 四 (sì), 肆 (sì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "four" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 四 (sì), 肆 (sì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters happen to share the reading sì, so lean on the words and written forms to tell them apart. The example sentences further down show how 四 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 四 sìfour; 4Useful words: 四季, 四处
- 肆 sìfour (fraud-proof); marketUseful words: 大肆, 肆无忌惮
Common words for these 2 "four" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 四 (sì) — so "four" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
四季sì jìfour seasons, namely: spring 春, summer 夏, autumn 秋 and winter 冬四处sì chùall over the place; everywhere and all directions四周sì zhōuall around大肆dà sìwantonly; without restraint (of enemy or malefactor); unbridled肆无忌惮sì wú jì dànabsolutely unrestrained; unbridled; without the slightest scruple放肆fàng sìwanton; unbridled; presumptuous; impudent
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "four".
肆 sì — four (fraud-proof); market
一群孩子在草地上肆意地奔跑、玩耍。Yì qún hái zi zài cǎo dì shàng sì yì de bēn pǎo, wán shuǎ.A group of children run and play freely on the grass.
Common words: 大肆 (dà sì)、肆无忌惮 (sì wú jì dàn)、放肆 (fàng sì)
All 2 characters
Open 四、肆 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.