五月
五five月month=May
五
五 (wǔ) Chinese Character: five
Crossing middle strokes create a balanced center.
Practice 五 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: The Number Five
五 (wǔ) means “five.” Think of it as the center point of the numbers from one to ten. Use 五个人 for “five people” and 五月 for “May.”
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
五个人
五five个general measure word人people=five people
Chinese character origin and etymology
五 (wǔ) means “five.” Think of it as the center point of the numbers from one to ten. Use 五个人 for “five people” and 五月 for “May.”
In modern simplified Chinese, 五 is written with 4 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 五 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
五 is written with 4 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 五 — five — a basic form used as one complete character
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 五 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
我们五点回家。
We go home at five o’clock.
她有五本书。
She has five books.
今天是五月五日。
Today is May fifth.
Learning tips for 五
Learn the reading as one unit: wǔ, with the third tone: falling then rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “five,” and write the 4 strokes from memory.
Because 五 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 四 (sì, four); 六 (liù, six). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 五 without pinyin?
- Can you say wǔ with the correct tone and explain “five”?
- Can you write all 4 strokes in order?
- Can you use 五 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 五 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.