"Four" • Chinese-English Dictionary

DICTIONARY OPTIONS
CHARACTERS : Simplified Traditional
PHONETIC : Pinyin Bopomofo EFEO Wade-Giles Yale
» Search by Radical
四 sì four / 4
乘 shèng four horse military chariot (archaic) / four (archaic) / generic term for history books
肆 sì four (banker's anti-fraud numeral) / unrestrained / wanton / (literary) shop
第四 dì sì fourth / number four
四年 sì nián four years
春秋 chūn qiū spring and autumn / four seasons / year / a person's age / annals (used in book titles)
四季 sì jì four seasons, namely: spring 春[chun1], summer 夏[xia4], autumn 秋[qiu1] and winter 冬[dong1]
四肢 sì zhī the four limbs of the body
四次 sì cì fourth / four times / quartic
红楼梦 Hóng lóu Mèng A Dream of Red Mansions (first completed edition 1791) by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹[Cao2 Xue3 qin2], one of the four great novels
九州 Jiǔ zhōu division of China during earliest dynasties / fig. ancient China / Kyūshū, southernmost of Japan's four major islands
四天 sì tiān four days
分身 fēn shēn (of one who has supernatural powers) to replicate oneself so as to appear in two or more places at the same time / a derivative version of sb (or sth) (e.g. avatar, proxy, clone, sockpuppet) / to spare some time for a separate task / to cut a corpse into pieces / to pull a body apart by the four limbs / parturition
四国 Sì guó Shikoku (one of the four main islands of Japan)
西施 Xī shī Xishi (c. 450 BC), famous Chinese beauty, foremost of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3], given by King Gou Jian 勾踐|勾践[Gou1 Jian4] of Yue as concubine to King of Wu as part of a successful plan to destroy Wu
四条 sì tiáo four of a kind / quads (poker)
喜怒哀乐 xǐ nù āi lè four types of human emotions, namely: happiness 歡喜|欢喜[huan1 xi3], anger 憤怒|愤怒[fen4 nu4], sorrow 悲哀[bei1 ai1] and joy 快樂|快乐[kuai4 le4]
四强 sì qiáng the top four
四千 sì qiān four thousand / 4 000
唐伯虎 Táng Bó hǔ Tang Bohu or Tang Yin 唐寅 / (1470-1523), Ming painter and poet, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子
四角 sì jiǎo the four corners (of a rectangle) / the eaves that the four corners of a building
峨眉山 E2 méi Shān Mt Emei in Sichuan, one of the Four Sacred Mountains and Bodhimanda of Samantabhadra 普賢|普贤[Pu3 xian2] / Emeishan city
四年前 sì nián qián four years previously
四时 sì shí the four seasons, namely: spring 春[chun1], summer 夏[xia4], autumn 秋[qiu1] and winter 冬[dong1]
江青 Jiāng Qīng Jiang Qing (1914-1991), Mao Zedong's fourth wife and leader of the Gang of Four
吴仪 Wú Yí Wu Yi (1938-), one of four vice-premiers of the PRC State Council
四维 sì wéi the four social bonds: propriety, justice, integrity and honor / see 禮義廉恥|礼义廉耻[li3 yi4 lian2 chi3] / the four directions / the four limbs (Chinese medicine) / four-dimensional
四大天王 sì dà tiān wáng the four heavenly kings (Sanskrit vajra) / the four guardians or warrior attendants of Buddha
九华山 Jiǔ huá shān Mount Jiuhua in Anhui, scenic tourist site, and one of the four famous Buddhist mountains
貂蝉 Diāo Chán Diaochan (-192), one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3], in fiction a famous beauty at the break-up of Han dynasty, given as concubine to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo 董卓[Dong3 Zhuo2] to ensure his overthrow by fighting hero Lü / Bu 呂布|吕布[Lu:3 Bu4]
家徒四壁 jiā tú sì bì lit. with only four bare walls for a home (idiom) / fig. very poor / wretched
琴棋书画 qín qí shū huà the four arts (zither, Go, calligraphy, painting) / the accomplishments of a well-educated person
三五成群 sān wǔ chéng qún in groups of three or four (idiom)
普陀山 Pǔ tuó shān Mt Potala at Zhoushan 舟山市 / in Zhejiang, one of the Four Sacred Mountains and Bodhimanda of Guanyin 觀音|观音 / (Avalokiteśvara)
四项基本原则 Sì xiàng Jī běn Yuán zé the Four Cardinal Principles enunciated by Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平|邓小平[Deng4 Xiao3 ping2] in 1979: to uphold the socialist road, the dictatorship of the proletariat, the leadership of the CCP, and Maoism and Marxism-Leninism
四化 sì huà abbr. for 四個現代化|四个现代化[si4 ge4 xian4 dai4 hua4], Deng Xiaoping's four modernizations
四大名著 sì dà míng zhù the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, namely: A Dream of Red Mansions 紅樓夢|红楼梦[Hong2 lou2 Meng4], Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4], Water Margin 水滸傳|水浒传[Shui3 hu3 Zhuan4], Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记[Xi1 you2 Ji4]
燕国 Yān guó Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning / north Hebei / the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Yan 前燕[Qian2 Yan1] (337-370), Later Yan 後燕|后燕[Hou4 Yan1] (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕[Nan2 Yan1] (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕[Bei3 Yan1] (409-436)
四边 sì biān four sides
四象 sì xiàng four divisions (of the twenty-eight constellations 二十八宿[er4 shi2 ba1 xiu4] of the sky into groups of seven mansions), namely: Azure Dragon 青龍|青龙[Qing1 long2], White Tiger 白虎[Bai2 hu3], Vermilion Bird 朱雀[Zhu1 que4], Black Tortoise 玄武[Xuan2 wu3]
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
农业现代化 nóng yè xiàn dài huà modernization of agriculture, one of Deng Xiaoping's Four Modernizations
文房四宝 wén fáng sì bǎo Four Treasures of the Study, namely 筆|笔[bi3], 墨[mo4], 紙|纸[zhi3] and 硯|砚[yan4] / the essentials of calligraphy and scholarship (idiom)
四书 Sì shū Four Books, namely: the Great Learning 大學|大学, the Doctrine of the Mean 中庸, the Analects of Confucius 論語|论语, and Mencius 孟子
峨嵋山 E2 méi shān Mt Emei in Sichuan, one of the Four Sacred Mountains and Bodhimanda of Samantabhadra 普賢|普贤
王昭君 Wáng Zhāo jūn Wang Zhaojun (52-19 BC), famous beauty at the court of Han emperor Yuan 漢元帝|汉元帝[Han4 Yuan2 di4], one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3]
王勃 Wáng Bó Wang Bo (650-676), one of the Four Great Poets of the Early Tang 初唐四傑|初唐四杰[Chu1 Tang2 Si4 jie2]
四大美女 sì dà měi nu:3 the four legendary beauties of ancient China, namely: Xishi 西施[Xi1 shi1], Wang Zhaojun 王昭君[Wang2 Zhao1 jun1], Diaochan 貂蟬|貂蝉[Diao1 Chan2] and Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環|杨玉环[Yang2 Yu4 huan2]
南征北战 nán zhēng běi zhàn war on all sides (idiom) / fighting from all four quarters
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
四个现代化 sì gè xiàn dài huà Deng Xiaoping's four modernizations practiced from the 1980s (possibly planned together with Zhou Enlai), namely: modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology / abbr. to 四化
四个现代化 sì ge xiàn dài huà Deng Xiaoping's four modernizations practiced from the 1980s (possibly planned together with Zhou Enlai), namely: modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology / abbr. to 四化[si4 hua4]
唐寅 Táng Yín Tang Bohu 唐伯虎 / or Tang Yin (1470-1523), Ming painter and poet, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子
四小龙 Sì Xiǎo lóng Four Asian Tigers / East Asian Tigers / Four Little Dragons (East Asian economic powers: Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong)
全国运动会 quán guó yùn dòng huì National Games, Chinese athletics competition, organized every four years since 1959
四害 sì hài "the four pests", i.e. rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows / see also 打麻雀運動|打麻雀运动[Da3 Ma2 que4 Yun4 dong4]
张春桥 Zhāng Chūn qiáo Zhang Chunqiao (1917-2005), one of the Gang of Four
入声 rù shēng entering tone / checked tone / one of the four tones of Middle Chinese
姚文元 Yáo Wén yuán Yao Wenyuan (1931-2005), one of the Gang of Four
关汉卿 Guān Hàn qīng Guan Hanqing (c. 1235-c. 1300), Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧 / tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan dramatists 元曲四大家
二十五史 èr shí wǔ shǐ twenty four dynastic histories (or 25 or 26 in modern editions)
骆宾王 Luò Bīn wáng Luo Binwang (640-684), one of Four Great Poets of the Early Tang 初唐四傑|初唐四杰[Chu1 Tang2 Si4 jie2]
湘绣 Xiāng xiù Hunan embroidery, one of the four major traditional styles of Chinese embroidery (the other three being 蘇繡|苏绣[Su1 xiu4], 粵繡|粤绣[Yue4 xiu4] and 蜀繡|蜀绣[Shu3 xiu4])
王洪文 Wáng Hóng wén Wang Hongwen (1935-1992), one of the Gang of Four
张志新 Zhāng Zhì xīn Zhang Zhixin (1930-1975) female revolutionary and martyr, who followed the true Marxist-Leninist line as a party member, and was arrested in 1969, then executed in 1975 after opposing the counterrevolutionary party-usurping conspiracies of Lin Biao and the Gang of Four, and only rehabilitated posthumously in 1979
国防现代化 guó fáng xiàn dài huà modernization of national defense, one of Deng Xiaoping's Four Modernizations
四体 sì tǐ one's four limbs / two arms and two legs
欧阳询 Oū yáng Xún Ouyang Xun (557-641), one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家[Tang2 chu1 Si4 Da4 jia1]
马致远 Mǎ Zhì yuǎn Ma Zhiyuan (c. 1250-1321), Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧[za2 ju4] tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan Dramatists 元曲四大家[Yuan2 qu3 Si4 Da4 jia1]
顾恺之 Gù Kǎi zhī Gu Kaizhi or Ku K'aichih (346-407), famous painter of Eastern Jin dynasty, one of the Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties 六朝四大家
虞世南 Yú Shì nán Yu Shinan (558-638), politician of Sui and early Tang periods, poet and calligrapher, one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家[Tang2 chu1 Si4 Da4 jia1]
车裂 chē liè to tear off a person's four limbs and head using five horse drawn carts (as capital punishment) / to tear limb from limb
独龙江 Dú lóng jiāng Dulong river in northwest Yunnan on border with Myanmar, tributary of Salween or Nujiang 怒江, sometimes referred to as number four of Three parallel rivers 三江並流|三江并流, wildlife protection unit
燕 Yān Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning / north Hebei / the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Yan 前燕[Qian2 Yan1] (337-370), Later Yan 後燕|后燕[Hou4 Yan1] (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕[Nan2 Yan1] (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕[Bei3 Yan1] (409-436) / surname Yan
鼎 dǐng ancient cooking cauldron with two looped handles and three or four legs / pot (dialect) / to enter upon a period of (classical) / Kangxi radical 206 / one of the 64 hexagrams of the Book of Changes
簋 guǐ ancient bronze food vessel with a round mouth and two or four handles / round basket of bamboo
三从四德 sān cóng sì dé Confucian moral injunctions for women, namely: obey in turn three men father, husband and son, plus the four virtues of morality 德[de2], physical charm 容, propriety in speech 言 / and efficiency in needlework 功
加减乘除 jiā jiǎn chéng chú addition, subtraction, multiplication and division: the four basic operations of arithmetic
南征北伐 nán zhēng běi fá war on all sides (idiom) / fighting from all four quarters
四海升平 sì hǎi shēng píng lit. all four oceans are peaceful / worldwide peace (idiom)
四海为家 sì hǎi wéi jiā to regard the four corners of the world all as home (idiom) / to feel at home anywhere / to roam about unconstrained / to consider the entire country, or world, to be one's own
四脚朝天 sì jiǎo cháo tiān four legs facing the sky (idiom) / flat on one's back
东征西怨 dōng zhēng xī yuàn war on all sides (idiom) / fighting from all four quarters
东征西讨 dōng zhēng xī tǎo war on all sides (idiom) / fighting from all four quarters
东讨西征 dōng tǎo xī zhēng war on all sides (idiom) / fighting from all four quarters
烽火四起 fēng huǒ sì qǐ the fire of war in all four directions (idiom) / the confusion of war
礼义廉耻 lǐ yì lián chǐ sense of propriety, justice, integrity and honor (i.e. the four social bonds, 四維|四维[si4 wei2])
酒色财气 jiǔ sè cái qì wine, sex, avarice and temper (idiom) / four cardinal vices
四大皆空 sì dà jiē kōng lit. the four elements are vanity (idiom) / this world is an illusion
四百万 sì bǎi wàn four million
问诊 wèn zhěn (TCM) interrogation, one of the four methods of diagnosis 四診|四诊[si4 zhen3]
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)
青龙 Qīng lóng Azure Dragon, one of the four symbols of the Chinese constellations, also known as the Azure Dragon of the East 東方青龍|东方青龙[Dong1 fang1 Qing1 long2] or 東方蒼龍|东方苍龙[Dong1 fang1 Cang1 long2] / (slang) man without pubic hair
三国演义 Sān guó Yǎn yì Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong 羅貫中|罗贯中[Luo2 Guan4 zhong1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, a fictional account of the Three Kingdoms at the break-up of the Han around 200 AD, portraying Liu Bei's 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] Shu Han 蜀漢|蜀汉[Shu3 Han4] as heroes and Cao Cao's 曹操[Cao2 Cao1] Wei 魏[Wei4] as villains
西游记 Xī yóu Jì Journey to the West, Ming dynasty novel by Wu Cheng'en 吳承恩|吴承恩, one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature / also called Pilgrimage to the West or Monkey
普氏 Pǔ shì Nikolai Mikhailovich Przevalski 普爾熱瓦爾斯基|普尔热瓦尔斯基 / (1839-1888), Russian explorer who made four expeditions to Central Asian from 1870
水浒传 Shuǐ hǔ Zhuàn Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh by Shi Nai'an 施耐庵[Shi1 Nai4 an1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature
四个小时 sì gè xiǎo shí four hours
四壁萧然 sì bì xiāo rán four bare walls
注音符号 Zhù yīn Fú hào Mandarin phonetic symbols (MPS), phonetic alphabet for Chinese used esp. in Taiwan, also known colloquially as Bopomofo (after the first four letters of the alphabet:ㄅㄆㄇㄈ)
Chinese Tones