四 | Chinese Character for Four

四 is the character for “four”. It is made out of 5 strokes.

Chinese Character	Simplified Version	Bopomofo	Pinyin
四	四	ㄙˋ	sì

Definition

4; four

Historical Origins

The Chinese character 四 has a rich historical evolution. Originally written as 亖 during the Western Zhou period, its form was later changed to 四 in the late Spring and Autumn period to avoid confusion with 二 (“two”) or 三 (“three”) in vertical writing. This change was standardized during the Qin dynasty.

The early bronzeware script of 四 showed the four lines of 亖 repositioned within the enclosure 口 (kǒu, “mouth”). Over time, this evolved into the current structure, combining 口 with 八 (bā, “divide”). The inclusion of 八, symbolizing dispersal or separation of breath, suggests that the character’s original meaning was unrelated to “four.”

Vocabulary with the Character 四

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
四季	ㄙˋ ㄐㄧˋ	sì jì	Four seasons
四面八方	ㄙˋ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄚ ㄈㄤ	sì miàn bā fāng	All directions; everywhere
四分之一	ㄙˋ ㄈㄣ ㄓ ㄧ	sì fēn zhī yī	One-fourth
四合院	ㄙˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄩㄢˋ	sì hé yuàn	Courtyard house (traditional Chinese architecture)
四海	ㄙˋ ㄏㄞˇ	sì hǎi	The four seas; the world
四方	ㄙˋ ㄈㄤ	sì fāng	Four directions; square