四 sì — four · English

四

sì

four

At a glance · 四

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

四字甲骨文象四横画或四口，为指事/象形，本义为数目四；小篆、隶楷作『四』。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

四本义为数目四。

Structure

四为象形（或指事）字，以四画表数。

At a glance

Pinyinsì

Radical囗

Strokes5

UnicodeU+56DB

Character type象形

Theme数术

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English four Si is an early pictograph with four strokes marking the number four.

Français quatre Si est un pictogramme de quatre traits marquant le nombre quatre.

Español cuatro Si es un pictograma de cuatro trazos que marca el número cuatro.

العربية أربعة سي رسم تخطيطي بأربعة خطوط على العدد أربعة.

Русский четыре Сы — ранняя пиктограмма четырьмя чертами, обозначающая число четыре.

Common words

四个sì gèfour
四季sì jìfour seasons

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