數

Translingual

Han character

數 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+11, 15 strokes, cangjie input 中女人大 (LVOK), four-corner 5844₀, composition ⿰婁攵)

Derived characters

• 擻 櫢 籔 藪 𠐍 𡂡 𥖻 𨯃 𩪵 𩽋 𣀟 𩖅 𤻺 𡾄 𦇆 𭒫 𭯫 𮕍

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 475, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13363
• Dae Jaweon: page 829, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1474, character 1
• Unihan data for U+6578

• Unihan data for U+F969

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sroʔ, *sros, *sroːɡ) : phonetic 婁 (OC *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·ro) + semantic 攴.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-tsjəj (“to count”); cognate to Tibetan རྩི (rtsi, “to count; to calculate”), Burmese ရေ (re, “to count”), Jingpho hti, Ersu htɛ⁵⁵ (STEDT).

Schuessler (2007) connects this word with Austroasiatic; compare Mon ရိုဟ် (rɜ̀h), from Middle Mon ruih (“to count”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *rʔis (“to count”).

Pronunciation 2 is an exopassive derivation of pronunciation 1 with suffix *-s, meaning "what is counted" (ibid.).

Pronunciation 3 is another derivation of pronunciation 1, perhaps with distributive suffix *-k (ibid.).

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

數

1. to count; to enumerate

   數銀仔／数银仔 [Cantonese]  ―  sou² ngan^4-2 zai²   ―  to count coins

2. to be reckoned as

   數一數二／数一数二  ―  shǔyī shǔ'èr  ―  to be reckoned as first or second; to be one of the best

3. to criticize; to find fault; to blame

   數落／数落  ―  shǔluò  ―  to criticize, to scold

   • 爲兒時母夫人日加嚴訓，不妄交遊。一日偶宿女隷家，其母面數之曰：「我已老，日夜望汝成長，立功名爲君親榮，今乃爾與屠沽小兒遊戱媱，房酒肆耶？」 [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]

     From: 《破閑集》, 1260

     Wi a si mo bu'in il ga eomhun, bul mang gyoyu. Iril u suk nyeo rye ga, gi mo myeon su ji wal: "A yi ro, irya mang yeo seongjang, ip gongmyeong wi gunchin yeong, geum nae i yeo dogo so'a yuhui yo, bang dosa ya?" [Sino-Korean]

     When he was young, his mother raised him more sternly with every passing day, so he did not befriend anyone recklessly. one day, he happened to stay the night in the house of a serf-girl. His mother faced him and scolded him: "I am old already. Day and night, I look forward to you becoming a man, making a name for yourself, and bringing glory to your lord and kin. And now, you are playing for pleasure with a girl from the riffraff, and having sex in the taverns!"

Synonyms

• (Malaysia, Singapore) 算 (suàn)

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

數

1. number; figure; amount (Classifier: 個／个; 粒 c)

   人數／人数  ―  rénshù  ―  population

2. (mathematics) number

   整數／整数  ―  zhěngshù  ―  integer

3. (grammar) number

   單數／单数  ―  dānshù  ―  singular

4. several; few

   數百人／数百人  ―  shù bǎi rén  ―  several hundred people

5. ^† mathematics; reckoning (one of the Six Arts)
6. Short for 數學／数学 (shùxué, “mathematics”).

   中英數／中英数 [Cantonese]  ―  zung¹ jing¹ sou³   ―  Chinese, English and mathematics

7. ^† divination
8. ^† skill
9. ^† law; rule; regular pattern
10. ^† legal system
11. fate; destiny

    氣數／气数  ―  qìshù  ―  fate

12. (Cantonese, Hakka, Southern Min) account (Classifier: 條／条 c; 盤／盘 c)

    數簿／数簿 [Cantonese]  ―  sou³ bou^6-2   ―  account book

    公數／公数 [Cantonese]  ―  gung¹ sou³   ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

13. (Cantonese) debt (Classifier: 筆／笔 c; 條／条 c)

    卡數／卡数 [Cantonese]  ―  kaat¹ sou³   ―  credit card debt

14. (Cantonese) sum of money (Classifier: 筆／笔 c; 嚿 c)
15. (Cantonese) mathematical problem (Classifier: 條／条 c)

Compounds

Pronunciation 3

Definitions

數

1. ^† frequently; repeatedly

   數見不鮮／数见不鲜  ―  shuòjiàn bùxiān  ―  a common occurrence

Compounds

Descendants

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

數

1. ^† fine and closely woven

   數罟／数罟  ―  cùgǔ  ―  closely woven net

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 数)

1. count
2. number

Readings

• Go-on: さく (saku); しゅ (shu)^{←しゆ (syu, historical)}; そく (soku)
• Kan-on: さく (saku); しょく (shoku)^{←しよく (syoku, historical)}; す (su)
• Kan’yō-on: すう (sū)
• Kun: かず (kazu, 數); かぞえる (kazoeru, 數える)^{←かぞへる (kazoferu, 數へる, historical)}; しばしば (shibashiba, 數); せめる (semeru, 數める); わずらわしい (wazurawashī, 數しい)^{←わずらはしい (wazurafasii, 數しい, historical)}

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 數 (MC srjuX|srjuH).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

數

Wikisource

數 (eumhun 셀 수 (sel su))
數 (eumhun 셈 수 (sem su))

1. Hanja form^? of 수 (“number; fixed quantity; figure”).
2. Hanja form^? of 수 (“to count; to calculate”).
3. Hanja form^? of 수 (“a little; a bit; a few; several”).
4. Hanja form^? of 수 (“manners”).
5. Hanja form^? of 수 (“grade”).
6. Hanja form^? of 수 (“obligation; duty”).
7. Hanja form^? of 수 (“fate; destiny”).
8. Hanja form^? of 수 (“skill; technique”).
9. Hanja form^? of 수 (“trick; scheme”).
10. Hanja form^? of 수 (“means; method”).

Compounds