数 (shǔ) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

数

shǔ[shu3]Tone 3

to count

HSK 2

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數

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to count

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:13

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (米 and 女) should be compact, while the right side (攵) stretches gracefully to maintain stable bilateral balance.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 數 was simplified to 数 by replacing the complex phonetic/semantic cluster on the left with a simplified structure containing 米 and 女.

1. Meaning

to count

to count asto regard asto enumerateto list

VerbNeutral#mathematics#actions#cognition

Sample Usage

数星星
shǔ xīng xīng
to count stars
数一数
shǔ yi shǔ
to count (something) over

2. Sound

/[ʂu²¹⁴]/Tone: 214

数

shǔshu3

ˇ(214)

=shǔ

Initial Consonant

Type: Retroflex Fricative

Sounds like: sh (retroflex sh sound like in shoe)

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: Hollow wind sound through curled tongue channel.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate without touching it, allowing air to friction through.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound as in boot

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T3 (214)

2 → 1 → 4 (214)

3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low and rises, sounding like a doubtful 'Really?' in English speech intonation.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 3 syllable, it changes to a rising Tone 2 (35) according to standard Mandarin tone sandhi rules.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse with the noun pronunciation shù (number/amount) or shuò (frequently). Context determines whether it is the verb 'to count' (Tone 3) or noun 'number' (Tone 4).

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down sharply from mid-height, then sweep up high, mirroring a physical valley.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 13 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (米 and 女) should be compact, while the right side (攵) stretches gracefully to maintain stable bilateral balance.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 數 was simplified to 数 by replacing the complex phonetic/semantic cluster on the left with a simplified structure containing 米 and 女.

4. Components

Radical 攴 · Hitter / Tap Radical (action, striking, or managing with the hand)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 攴 (indicates an active hand action or management)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 婁 (original sound: lóu / shǔ)

A rice storehouse (米) managed by a woman (女) where inventory is systematically tapped and counted with a hand/stick (攵).

米 rice / grains
女 woman
攵 action / tapping hand

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

19· Phonetic Root: 娄 (lóu)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined elements denoting tallying or managing goods, evolving from ancient records of grain and counting items.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from the physical act of tallying grain inventories to general counting, enumerating, and eventually abstract mathematical numbers.

In ancient times, grain distribution required careful accounting by women managing household stores.
The character splits into multiple readings depending on whether it functions as a verb (shǔ) or a noun (shù).

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

sổ

Mandarin Tone 3 corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi tone.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ス (su), ソウ (sō) / Kun: かず (kazu), かぞ.える (kazoeru)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

수

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a woman (女) standing by sacks of rice (米), using a tapping stick (攵) to carefully COUNT each grain one by one.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

数

shǔto countStandard character for counting

楼

lóubuilding / floorUses wood radical (木) instead of rice/woman

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

树(shù)

Tree radical (木) on the left instead of the rice/woman components.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

请帮我[___]一下这些钱。

Clue: shǔ

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the verb reading 'shǔ' (to count, Tone 3) with the noun reading 'shù' (number, Tone 4).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 数 read as shǔ, what action does it describe?

Production: How do you write the verb meaning 'to count' in Mandarin with pinyin shǔ?

数shǔto count

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