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five

4 strokes · 二 (two radical) · HSK 1

Where 五 comes from

五 was once an X drawn between two lines — heaven above, earth below, and the five elements crossing and interacting in between. The X is still there in the middle of the modern character, where yin and yang meet.

五 in Chinese culture

Five organizes the Chinese universe: 五行 (the Five Elements — wood 木, fire 火, earth 土, metal 金, water 水, several of which you now know), 五味 (five flavors), 五官 (five facial features). The number structures traditional medicine, cooking, and philosophy alike.

Example

五个 wǔ gè — five (of something)

五月五号。
Wǔyuè wǔ hào.
May 5th.

How to remember it

An X (yin and yang crossing) caught between two lines — FIVE.

五行 (the Five Elements) include 木 (wood), 火 (fire), and 水 (water) — three characters you've already learned. Chinese thought builds the whole cosmos from five.

Same sound, different tones

1st wū
room / house
2nd wú
without
3rd wǔ
five
4th wù
thing

Words unlocked by 五

五个 wǔ gè
five (of something)
五月 wǔyuè
May
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