Word
数
Meaning in Englishnumber, amount, count
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
It means number or quantity. It denotes a numerical value or amount and appears in everyday counting as well as in formal mathematical and statistical vocabulary to indicate how many of something there are.
Main meanings
- primary sense as a numerical value or quantity
- an indefinite count meaning several or a few in context
- found in compound terms related to numbers and counting in mathematics and data
How to use it
Used as a noun to express quantity or number; formal in academic or numeric contexts, casual in everyday counting; it appears with particles and in compounds, serving as the semantic core for counting-related terms and expressions.
Variants and close terms
- digits or numeric forms — suuji
- quantity or amount — ryō
- many or a large number — tasū
Etymology
From Chinese characters 數/数 meaning to count; entered Japanese through Sino-Japanese reading; the modern form 数 reflects historical simplification while retaining the core meaning of counting and quantity.
Word class
Noun (名詞)