num.
The numeral seven, originally a crossed or cut line recording this count. Seventh; seven units; appearing in idioms to mean "many" or "in disorder."
七
Common Usage & Traps
- 七点 — seven o'clock
- 七天 — seven days
- 七月 — July (the seventh month)
- 十七 — seventeen
- 七十 — seventy
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星期七星期天 / 星期日Chinese numbers the week 一到六, then breaks the pattern for the last day. 星期七 sounds like a missing slot, not a real day.
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七十 (trying to say 17)十七Word-order mix-up. Teen numbers put 十 first (十七), multiples of ten put 十 last (七十). Say it backwards and you jump from 17 to 70.
How do you say 17 and 70, and why does 十 switch sides?
Ten goes first for teens (十七 = 17), last for tens (七十 = 70).
English builds 17 as seven-ten, but Chinese builds it as ten-seven: 十七. The 十 sits in front for every teen, from 十一 up to 十九. Once you pass 20, 十 moves into the middle: 二十七 is two tens plus a seven. That means 五十七 is 57, and 十五七 is gibberish born from stretching the teen pattern too far. Check where 十 sits and you instantly know if it's a teen or a ten.
“六七八九十，
昨天星期四；
十四是十四，
四十是四十。” (Six, seven, eight, nine, ten — yesterday was Thursday. Fourteen is fourteen, and forty is forty.)
“六七八九十，
昨天星期四；
十四是十四，
四十是四十。” (Six, seven, eight, nine, ten — yesterday was Thursday. Fourteen is fourteen, and forty is forty.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | 十七 (shí qī) | 七十 (that's 70) |
| 70 | 七十 (qī shí) | 十七 (that's 17) |
| 57 | 五十七 (wǔ shí qī) | 十五七 (teen pattern pushed too far) |
Why is Sunday never 星期七?
Chinese numbers days up to six, then switches to 天 or 日 for Sunday.
You get 星期一 through 星期六, and then the counting just stops. The seventh day is 星期天 or 星期日, using the words for sky and sun instead of a number. Say 星期七 and people will still get it, but it lands like a dropped stitch in a sweater. Casual speech also gives you 周日 and 周天.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 星期天 / 星期日 | 星期七 |
| Monday to Saturday | 星期一 … 星期六 | 星期零 |
| Short casual form | 周日, 周天 | 周七 |
Why do some people say qí instead of qī in 七个?
Some northerners flip 七 to qí before a 4th tone. Standard Mandarin keeps qī.
An old Beijing habit turned 七 and 八 into second tone right before a fourth tone, so 七个 came out as qí gè. Modern dictionaries and the official pronunciation list drop that flip and keep 七 as plain first tone. You will still catch qí gè from older northern speakers, and it sounds perfectly local. Say qī gè, and nobody will ever correct you.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 七个 (个 is 4th tone) | qī gè (standard), qí gè (older northern) | qì gè |
| Month names | 七月 = qī yuè | qí yuè (sounds off) |
| Dictionaries | 七 = qī, first tone, always | treating qí as required |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
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小包的女儿 七 岁，儿子五岁。
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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六 七 八九十，昨天星期四；十四是十四，四十是四十。
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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饺子 七 块五，包子五块三。
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