num.
Four—the number between three and five. Also "fourth," "all four directions," or "everywhere" in compounds like 四处.
四
Common Usage & Traps
- 四个人 — four people
- 四个小时 — four hours (the everyday spoken form)
- 四天 — four days
- 四点 — four o'clock
- 四楼 — the fourth floor (no 第 needed)
- 四月四号 — April 4th
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四个天四天天 and 年 count themselves. Adding 个 sounds like a foreigner guessing: 四天, 四年.
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四月 (trying to say 'four months')四个月四月 is the month of April. A duration of four months is 四个月. Mix these up on a lease and things get confusing fast.
Do I actually need 个 in 四个小时, or is 四小时 enough?
Both 四小时 and 四个小时 are fine; 天 and 年 never take 个.
小时 is something you count, so everyday speech drops in a 个: 我睡了四个小时. Say 四小时 out loud and you sound like a news broadcast. 天 and 年 are the opposite — they already count themselves, so 四天 and 四年 stand alone. 四个天 or 四个年 is the classic beginner slip. Months are the sneaky one: 四个月 means four months of duration. 四月 means April, the calendar month.
“上午四小时，中午吃中饭。” (Four hours in the morning, then lunch at noon.)
“上午四小时，中午吃中饭。” (Four hours in the morning, then lunch at noon.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Hours, casual speech | 四个小时 | 四小时 (bookish out loud) |
| Days | 四天 | 四个天 |
| Years | 四年 | 四个年 |
| Months | 四个月 | 四月 for a duration |
| The month itself | 四月 | 四个月 for April |
Is 四楼 the 4th floor, or do I need to add 第?
Floors, dates and grades skip 第 — 四楼 already means the 4th floor.
第 puts something into a ranked line: 第四个, 第四次, 第四章. But fixed labels like floors, dates, bus lines and school years never bother with it. 四楼 is the fourth floor, 四月四号 is April 4th, 四年级 is fourth grade. Say 第四楼 and people hear you ranking buildings against each other. Save 第 for real rankings: 这是我第四次来上海.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth floor | 四楼 | 第四楼 |
| April 4th | 四月四号 | 第四月四号 |
| Fourth grade | 四年级 | 第四年级 |
| The fourth time | 第四次 | 四次 |
| Fourth person in line | 第四个 | 四个 |
Why do Chinese buildings skip the 4th floor?
Four sounds like death, so many buildings quietly skip the 4th floor.
四 (sì) and 死 (sǐ) differ only in tone, and that is enough to make four unlucky. Plenty of buildings have no 4th floor button — you see 3A, or a jump from 3 straight to 5. Hospitals often avoid rooms 4, 14, 24 and 44 for the same reason. Phone numbers and license plates heavy with 4 sell cheaper, and older relatives notice if you bring four of something.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Elevator buttons | 3A, or 3 then 5 | expecting a 4th-floor button in every building |
| Hospital rooms | 4, 14, 44 often skipped | loudly announcing a patient is in room 44 |
| Gifts to elders | three or five items | four apples for your mother-in-law |
| Awareness | treat it as a soft preference | assuming it is a hard rule everywhere |
Why do people keep asking me to repeat 四 and 十?
四 falls, 十 rises; flatten the tone and 4 turns into 10.
Only the tone keeps 四 (sì) apart from 十 (shí). Say it flat in a wet market and 四十块 (40 yuan) turns into a question about 十四 (14). Order matters too: 十四 is ten-then-four, 四十 is four tens. On the phone, say each digit slowly and keep the falling tone sharp. Natives drill this with the tongue twister 四是四，十是十.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| The sound | sì, a sharp falling tone | sì said flat, which lands on 十 |
| 14 | 十四 | 四十 (that is 40) |
| 40 | 四十 | 十四 (that is 14) |
| Phone numbers | clear tones, one digit at a time | mumbling a string like 44 through a bad line |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short, rhythmic text is a famous Chinese tongue twister. It helps beginners practice the difference between sì (four) and shí (ten) while building confidence in speaking.
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四 是 四 ，十是十。
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四 不是十，十不是 四 。
Think instant noodles are unhealthy? This HSK 6 article challenges common myths and reveals surprising facts about nutrition, oil, and salt in this convenient food.
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误会 四 ：方便面咸关于盐，说实话，方便面里面的盐并不多，含盐率仅为1.6%至2%。
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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大学里面的学生，每天学 四 个学时，四年要学两千八百个学时。
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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上午 四 小时，中午吃中饭。
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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一二三 四 五，今天星期五。
Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!
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一月到二月，二月到三月，三月 四 五月。
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