數

shù

number; count; several; fate

Meaning

  • The act of counting or enumerating (verb).
  • A specific amount, total, or mathematical entity (noun).
  • Frequency or the repetition of an event (noun).
  • "Several," "a few," or "numerous" (quantifier/adjective).
  • Fate as a predetermined quota or cosmic calculation, particularly in contexts of mortality and destiny.

Grammar and usage

  • Functions as a verb denoting the active process of counting.
  • Functions as a quantifier when modifying nouns.
  • Functions as a noun referring to totals, frequency, or abstract quantity.

Distinctions

  • Contrast with 命 (mìng): While 命 often implies a mandate, command, or divine appointment, 數 suggests an inevitable result—an allotted number of days or a calculated destiny that has been exhausted.
  • Contrast with 算 (suàn): While both involve numbers, 算 typically denotes the method of calculation, planning, or logic; 數 focuses on the enumeration (the sequence) or the result (the total).

History and forms

  • Later traditions distinguish between the reading for "counting" (shǔ) and the reading for "number/fate" (shù). In early texts, the translator should rely on grammatical position (verb vs. noun) to determine the sense.
  • Simplified variant: U+6570.

Translator notes

  • When modifying a noun (e.g., 數人), distinguish between an imperative action ("count the people") and a descriptive quantity ("several people"). In many contexts, the quantifier sense is more probable than the active verb.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.