Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
五 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
五wǔfiveHSK 1, m, 4 strokes, radical 二, rank #563, Easy
五wǔ5HSK 1, m, 4 strokes, radical 二, rank #563, Easy
五wǔfive; surnameHSK 1, m, 4 strokes, radical 二, rank #563, Easy
wǔ(wu3) T3
  1. 1five
  2. 25
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
五wǔ(wu3)

The character 五 (wǔ) represents the number five in Mandarin. It is commonly used in counting, mathematics, and daily life to indicate quantity. Additionally, it can be a surname, albeit less frequently encountered than its numerical usage.

Strokes4Radical二Frequency#563DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the number five is associated with the five elements (木, 火, 土, 金, 水) in philosophy, representing balance and harmony in nature. This cultural significance makes understanding the number important beyond just its numerical value.

Memory Tip

Imagine a hand with five fingers spread wide apart, representing the number five. The shape of the character 五 resembles a hand with its fingers, helping you remember both its meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 五

wǔ(wu3)
1five
25
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 五

五Simplified
4Strokes
二Radical
数词shùcínumeral (num.)Part of Speech
#563Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 五

JasonAmy

Podcast: 五

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 五

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a hand with five fingers spread wide apart, representing the number five. The shape of the character 五 resembles a hand with its fingers, helping you remember both its meaning and pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 五 with other numbers, particularly when counting. It is important to practice pronunciation to avoid mixing it up with similar-sounding characters. Common collocations include 五个 (five of something) and 五岁 (five years old).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 五 is foundational for learners. It connects to other numbers, such as 一 (one) and 二 (two), which are also essential for basic counting and arithmetic. Focus on pronunciation and recognizing its written form.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the number five is associated with the five elements (木, 火, 土, 金, 水) in philosophy, representing balance and harmony in nature. This cultural significance makes understanding the number important beyond just its numerical value.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write the character as 三 (three) due to its similar shape. Always remember that 五 has a flat top and is wider, while 三 has a more pointed top.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 五

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 五 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 五

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Origin unclear. Originally an X between two lines.

Memory Hint

Five elements (the cross with the extra stroke) between heaven 一 and earth 一 

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 五?

Decomposition of 五

IDS Structure⿴二？
五Full Character
=
二er4
enclosing
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 五?

Write 五

五

Practice writing 五 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 五

五 functions as a number. It almost always combines with a measure word before a noun (三个人, 五本书). Standalone numbers are rare outside of math or counting. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他今年二十____岁。

He is 25 years old this year.

Example Sentences for 五 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我想让门前的花园变得五彩缤纷。

wǒ xiǎng ràng mén qián de huā yuán biàn dé wǔ cǎi bīn fēn。

I wanted the front garden to be a blaze of colour.
2
他每隔五分钟就跑来追问我这件事。

tā měi gé wǔ fēn zhōng jiù pǎo lái zhuī wèn wǒ zhè jiàn shì。

He ran in every five minutes to pump me about the case.
3
我天真地以为这是份朝九晚五的工作。

wǒ tiān zhēn dì yǐ wéi zhè shì fèn zhāo jiǔ wǎn wǔ de gōng zuò。

I thought, naively, that this would be a nine-to-five job.
4
包括咖啡、服务费及增值税在内，一顿五道菜正餐的价格为30英镑。

bāo kuò kā fēi、 、 fú wù fèi jí zēng zhí shuì zài， nèi ， yī dùn wǔ dào cài zhèng cān de jià30 gé wéi。

A five-course meal including coffee, service and VAT is £
5
莫罗在个人五公里追逐赛中获得金牌。

mò luó zài gè rén wǔ gōng lǐ zhuī zhú sài zhōng huò dé jīn pái。

Moreau took gold in the five-kilometre individual pursuit competition.
6
除非受恶劣天气干扰，南非邮船一般在星期五上午抵达。

chú fēi shòu è liè tiān qì gān rǎo， ， nán fēi yóu chuán yī bān zài xīng qī wǔ shàng wǔ dǐ。

The South African mailboat arrived on Friday mornings unless bad weather intervened.
7
他们赢得下届选举的机会在五成以上。

tā mén yíng dé xià jiè xuǎn jǔ de jī huì zài wǔ chéng yǐ shàng。

They have a more than even chance of winning the next election.
8
他星期五逃走了，说是担心自己有生命危险。

tā xīng qī wǔ táo zǒu le， ， shuō shì dān xīn zì jǐ yǒu shēng mìng wēi。

He fled on Friday, saying he feared for his life.
9
这4个省被严重的家族和部族纷争弄得四分五裂。

zhè4 4 gè shěng bèi yán zhòng de jiā zú hé bù zú fēn zhēng nòng dé sì fēn wǔ。

The four provinces are riven by deep family and tribal conflicts.
10
星期五从盖特威克起飞全程需要7个小时。

xīng qī wǔ cóng gài tè wēi kè qǐ fēi quán chéng xū yào7 7 gè xiǎo。

Flying out on Friday from Gatwick it took seven hours door-to-door.

Cultural Notes for 五

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the number five is associated with the five elements (木, 火, 土, 金, 水) in philosophy, representing balance and harmony in nature. This cultural significance makes understanding the number important beyond just its numerical value.

Word Family of 五

Compounds3
伍Wu3surname Wu
吾Wu2I, my, our; to resist, to impede
忢
Words Containing This Character20
五wǔ5
周五Friday週五
五月May
星期五Friday
第五fifth
五角大楼the Pentagon五角大樓
五星级wǔxīngjífive-star (hotel)五星級
五行five phases of Chinese philosophy: wood 木, fire 火, earth 土, metal 金, water 水
五年计划Five-Year Plan五年計劃
五星the five visible planets, namely: Mercury 水星, Venus 金星, Mars 火星, Jupiter 木星, Saturn 土星
五金metal hardware (nuts and bolts)
五官facial features
五十fifty
十五15
五彩multicolored
五粮液Wuliangye liquor五糧液
五花八门wǔhuābāménmyriad五花八門
五分之一one fifth
五颜六色wǔyánliùsèmulti-colored五顏六色
五月份May
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 伍 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 五

It is pronounced as 'wǔ' with a rising tone, similar to asking a question.