五 (wǔ) means "five" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: five
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
Early oracle-bone 五 was simply five horizontal strokes, parallel to 一, 二, 三, 亖. Alongside this a variant crossed form soon appeared, two lines crossing with a bar above and below, which became the dominant shape and displaced the five-stroke version. Scholars read the crossed form as an abstract sign for the intersection of yin and yang or simply as a scribal shortcut to avoid confusion with 亖.
Form evolution
Bronze and seal forms standardised the X-with-two-bars shape, with the seal version showing a clearly drawn cross between two horizontals. Clerical script straightened the cross into two diagonals meeting at angles, which produced the modern upper structure. 楷书 finalised the four-stroke shape used today.
How the meaning evolved
The numeric meaning of five has been constant from earliest attestation. It extended into many culturally weighted sets such as 五行 (five phases: metal, wood, water, fire, earth), 五谷 (five grains), and 五官 (the five sense organs / facial features). These cosmological fives shaped traditional medicine, philosophy, and politics, so 五 often carries a categorising rather than purely quantitative flavour.
Cultural note
The anti-fraud banking form of 五 is 伍, still seen on cheques and contracts. 五 also appears in the national holiday 五一 (May 1, Labour Day), a date every learner hears repeatedly in China.
Basic info
Example sentences
五个苹果。
Wǔ gè píngguǒ.
Five apples.
From 五 (HSK 1)
Words containing 五
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 五 | wǔ | five | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 五 with the rest of your level.
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.