五 Stroke Order — How to Write 五
五 is written in 4 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 二, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
五 Radical and Character Components
Partial breakdown of 五:二
五 is an ideographic compound. Five elements (the cross with the extra stroke) between heaven 一 and earth 一 .
Radical: 二 + 2 more strokes
五 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- wǔ
Meanings of 五 in Chinese
1
wǔ五
The number five; also used in phrases to denote 'colorful' or 'various' (e.g., 五彩, colorful).
天空中出现了五彩的晚霞。
Colorful sunset clouds appeared in the sky.
A notation symbol in ancient Chinese musical scores, equivalent to '6' in solfège (jianpu).
古筝乐谱中的‘五’代表音阶上的‘6’。
The 'wu' in guzheng music scores represents '6' on the musical scale.
Common Words and Phrases with 五
1
The Five Hegemons, a term referring to the five most powerful feudal lords during China's Spring and Autumn Period who successively dominated the other states.
研究古代历史时，我们常常会探讨春秋时期五霸在文化交流和地域发展中扮演的角色。
When studying ancient history, we often explore the roles that the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period played in cultural exchange and regional development.
2
A social welfare program in rural China that provides five guarantees (food, clothing, fuel, education, and burial) for individuals who are unable to work or support themselves.
村里为那些没有亲属照料的老人提供了五保服务，确保他们安享晚年。
The village provided Wubao services for the elderly who had no relatives to care for them, ensuring they could enjoy their later years peacefully.
3
Chinese gall (wǔbèizǐ) is an insect gall formed on sumac leaves, used as a traditional Chinese medicine.
五倍子在中药中常被用来收敛止泻，具有较好的药用价值。
Galla Chinensis is often used in traditional Chinese medicine for its astringent and antidiarrheal properties, possessing good medicinal value.
4
the five colors
舞台上的灯光打出了五采斑斓的效果，令人目眩神迷。
The stage lights created a dazzling, multicolored effect, captivating the audience.
5
multicoloured; referring to various colors, traditionally the five primary colors: blue, yellow, red, white, and black.
花园里开满了五彩的花朵。
The garden was filled with colorful flowers.
6
Colorful and varied.
公园里的花朵五彩缤纷，美得令人心醉
The flowers in the park are a riot of colors, breathtakingly beautiful.
7
The five constant virtues in traditional Chinese thought: benevolence (仁), righteousness (义), propriety (礼), wisdom (智), and trustworthiness (信).
古人提倡修身养性，以五常为做人处世的根本。
Ancient people advocated self-cultivation, considering the Five Constant Virtues as the fundamental principles for human conduct and interaction.
8
Officials of five districts in the capital city, historically referring to the Wu Cheng Imperial Censors (五城御史) during the Qing Dynasty.
古代京城常设五城，以有效划分区域，方便治理与居民日常。
Ancient capitals often established five wards to effectively divide regions, facilitating governance and residents' daily lives.
9
Prisons or detention facilities operated by the Censors of the Five Districts and the Five-District Gendarmerie, imperial offices responsible for surveillance and public security in the capital's five administrative divisions.
那个不法商贩最终被押入了五城御史司坊。
That illegal merchant was ultimately taken to the Five City Censorate and Military and Horse Divisions' prisons.
10
The Five Dynasties (907–960 AD), a period in Chinese history following the Tang Dynasty, comprising the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou.
这部历史剧生动地展现了五代时期社会风貌与文化变迁。
This historical drama vividly depicts the social customs and cultural changes during the Five Dynasties period.
11
The Five Emperors (Wǔ-Dì) are legendary ancient Chinese rulers, typically referring to Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Tangyao, and Yushun.
在古老的传说中，五帝治理天下，开创了中华文明的辉煌篇章。
In ancient legends, the Five Emperors governed the land, ushering in glorious chapters of Chinese civilization.
12
all the year round; throughout the year
他五冬六夏都坚持在户外跑步，真是个热爱运动的人。
He insists on running outdoors all year round; he's truly a sports enthusiast.
13
A chest of drawers, typically with five drawers.
她把折叠好的衣服整齐地放进了卧室的五斗橱里。
She neatly put the folded clothes into the chest of drawers in the bedroom.
14
A chest of drawers, typically with five drawers.
我把换季的衣服都整齐地叠好，放进了卧室的五斗柜里。
I neatly folded all my seasonal clothes and put them into the five-drawer chest in the bedroom.
15
Having all sorts of bad habits or vices, especially referring to addiction to drinking and smoking.
他年轻时不懂事，沉迷于各种不良嗜好，被大家说是五毒俱全，直到后来才幡然醒悟。
When he was young, he was ignorant and indulged in various bad habits; everyone said he had all five vices, until he later had a complete change of heart.
More words with 五
- wáng王lǎo老wǔ五a single man or a bachelor
- wú五diǎn点five o'clock, five points
- wǔ五shí十fifty
- wǔ五qiān千five thousand
- wǔ五suì岁five years old, five-year-old
- shí十wǔ五fifteen, the fifteenth
- wǔ五gè个five
- wǔ五guān官five sense organs, facial features
- wǔ五lóu楼fifth floor
- wǔ五nián年five years
- wǔ五wàn万fifty thousand
- wǔ五xíng行Five Elements, Five Phases
- wǔ五yīn音five tones, pentatonic scale
- wǔ五yuè月May
- wǔ五yuè岳Five Great Mountains, Five Sacred Mountains
- zhōu周wǔ五Friday
- dì第wǔ五fifth, the fifth
- wú五bǎi百five hundred
- wú五gǔ谷The five grains, Grains
- wǔ五xīng星Five stars, Five-star
Idioms with 五
- wǔ五cǎi彩bān斑lán斓Dazzling with a riot of colors
- wǔ五dà大sān三cū粗tall and strongly built
- wǔ五dǒu斗zhé折yāo腰compromise integrity for meager gain
- wǔ五duǎn短sān三cū粗short, sturdy, and stout build
- wǔ五duǎn短shēn身cái材short and stocky build
- wǔ五fāng方zá杂chǔ处diverse community
- wǔ五gǔ谷bù不fēn分ignorant of basic practical knowledge
- wǔ五gǔ谷fēng丰dēng登a bumper harvest of all food grains
- wǔ五gǔ谷fēng丰shú熟all crops ripe and abundant
- wǔ五guāng光shí十sè色vibrantly colorful and dazzling
- wǔ五hú湖sì四hǎi海from all corners of the world
- wǔ五huā花bā八mén门diverse and multifarious
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Open the tool →Questions about 五
What does 五 mean in Chinese?
五 (wǔ) means “The number five” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 五?
五 is pronounced wǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 五 have?
五 has 4 strokes.
How do you write 五?
五 is written in 4 strokes, starting from the radical 二. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 五?
The radical of 五 is 二, and 五 is an ideographic compound.
