四 - Chinese Character Definition and Usage

HSK	1
FREQUENCY	226th character
RADICAL	⼞ (31.2)
STROKES	5
INDEX #	262

April

the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind (Buddhism); the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters, 大鳴大放|大鸣大放[da4 ming2 da4 fang4], 大辯論|大辩论[da4 bian4 lun4], 大字報|大字报[da4 zi4 bao4] (PRC)

一年四季 yī nián sì jì

all year round

六四 liù sì

refers to Tiananmen incident of 4th June 1989

四人帮 sì rén bāng

Gang of Four: Jiang Qing 江青, Zhang Chunqiao 張春橋, Yao Wenyuan 姚文元, Wang Hongwen 王洪文, who served as scapegoats for the excesses of the cultural revolution

四环素 sì huán sù

tetracycline

四两拨千斤 sì liǎng bō qiān jīn

lit. four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom); fig. to achieve much with little effort

朝三暮四 zhāo sān mù sì

lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom); to change sth that is already settled upon; indecisive; to blow hot and cold

低三下四 dī sān xià sì

servile

四邻 sì lín

one's nearest neighbors

四季豆 sì jì dòu

green bean; French bean; runner bean

四时 sì shí

the four seasons, namely: spring 春, summer 夏, autumn 秋 and winter 冬

四级 sì jí

grade 4; fourth class; category D

四面楚歌 sì miàn chǔ gē

lit. on all sides, the songs of Chu (idiom); fig. surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help

四平八稳 sì píng bā wěn

everything steady and stable (idiom); overcautious and unimaginary

四声 sì shēng

the four tones of Middle Chinese: level tone 平聲|平声, rising tone 上聲|上声, departing tone 去聲|去声 and entering tone 入聲|入声; the four tones of Modern Standard Mandarin

四边形 sì biān xíng

quadrilateral

家徒四壁 jiā tú sì bì

lit. with only four bare walls for a home (idiom); fig. very poor; wretched

张三李四 zhāng sān lǐ sì

Zhang the Third and Li the Fourth (idiom); Tom, Dick and Harry

五湖四海 wǔ hú sì hǎi

all parts of the country

四方步 sì fāng bù

a slow march

四通八达 sì tōng bā dá

roads open in all directions (idiom); accessible from all sides

李四 lǐ sì

Li Si, name for an unspecified person, second of a series of three: 張三|张三[Zhang1 San1], 李四, 王五[Wang2 Wu3] Tom, Dick and Harry

名扬四海 míng yáng sì hǎi

to become known far and wide (idiom); famous

四一二 sì yī èr

12th April; refers to Chiang Kai-shek's coup of 12th April 1927 against the communists in Shanghai

Character

四 sì

DEFINITIONS

STROKES

WORDS

四月份 sì yuè fèn	April
四大 sì dà	the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind (Buddhism); the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters, 大鳴大放\|大鸣大放[da4 ming2 da4 fang4], 大辯論\|大辩论[da4 bian4 lun4], 大字報\|大字报[da4 zi4 bao4] (PRC)
一年四季 yī nián sì jì	all year round
六四 liù sì	refers to Tiananmen incident of 4th June 1989
四人帮 sì rén bāng	Gang of Four: Jiang Qing 江青, Zhang Chunqiao 張春橋, Yao Wenyuan 姚文元, Wang Hongwen 王洪文, who served as scapegoats for the excesses of the cultural revolution
四环素 sì huán sù	tetracycline
四两拨千斤 sì liǎng bō qiān jīn	lit. four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom); fig. to achieve much with little effort
朝三暮四 zhāo sān mù sì	lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom); to change sth that is already settled upon; indecisive; to blow hot and cold
低三下四 dī sān xià sì	servile
四邻 sì lín	one's nearest neighbors
四季豆 sì jì dòu	green bean; French bean; runner bean
四时 sì shí	the four seasons, namely: spring 春, summer 夏, autumn 秋 and winter 冬
四级 sì jí	grade 4; fourth class; category D
四面楚歌 sì miàn chǔ gē	lit. on all sides, the songs of Chu (idiom); fig. surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help
四平八稳 sì píng bā wěn	everything steady and stable (idiom); overcautious and unimaginary
四声 sì shēng	the four tones of Middle Chinese: level tone 平聲\|平声, rising tone 上聲\|上声, departing tone 去聲\|去声 and entering tone 入聲\|入声; the four tones of Modern Standard Mandarin
四边形 sì biān xíng	quadrilateral
家徒四壁 jiā tú sì bì	lit. with only four bare walls for a home (idiom); fig. very poor; wretched
张三李四 zhāng sān lǐ sì	Zhang the Third and Li the Fourth (idiom); Tom, Dick and Harry
五湖四海 wǔ hú sì hǎi	all parts of the country
四方步 sì fāng bù	a slow march
四通八达 sì tōng bā dá	roads open in all directions (idiom); accessible from all sides
李四 lǐ sì	Li Si, name for an unspecified person, second of a series of three: 張三\|张三[Zhang1 San1], 李四, 王五[Wang2 Wu3] Tom, Dick and Harry
名扬四海 míng yáng sì hǎi	to become known far and wide (idiom); famous
四一二 sì yī èr	12th April; refers to Chiang Kai-shek's coup of 12th April 1927 against the communists in Shanghai