Characters
Vocabulary
四
four; 4
四大
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, 大鸣大放 (dàmíngdàfàng), 大辩论 (dàbiànlùn), 大字报 (dàzìbào) (PRC)
四月
April; fourth month (of the lunar year)
四处
all over the place; everywhere and all directions
四周
all around
四川省
Sichuan Province, capital Chengdu 成都市 (ChéngdūShì) (short name 川 (Chuān) or 蜀 (Shǔ))
四十
forty; 40
四季
four seasons, namely: spring 春 (chūn), summer 夏 (xià), autumn 秋 (qiū) and winter 冬 (dōng)
四方
four-way; four-sided; in all directions; everywhere
四级
grade 4; fourth class; category D
四人帮
Gang of Four: Jiang Qing 江青 (JiāngQīng), Zhang Chunqiao 张春桥 (ZhāngChūnqiáo), Yao Wenyuan 姚文元 (YáoWényuán), Wang Hongwen 王洪文 (WángHóngwén), who served as scapegoats for the excesses of the cultural revolution
四分之一
one-quarter
四次
fourth; four times; quartic
四肢
the four limbs of the body
四条
four of a kind; quads (poker)
四海
(fig.) the whole world
四面
all sides
四国
Shikoku (one of the four main islands of Japan)
四面八方
(idiom) all directions; all around
四维
the four social bonds: propriety, justice, integrity and honor; the four directions; the four limbs (Chinese medicine); four-dimensional
四起
to spring up everywhere; from all around
四角
the four corners (of a rectangle); the eaves that the four corners of a building
四散
to disperse; to scatter in all directions
四分五裂
(idiom) fragmented; scattered; in disarray; at sixes and sevens
四合院
courtyard house with a fully enclosed courtyard (type of Chinese residence)
四时
the four seasons, namely: spring 春 (chūn), summer 夏 (xià), autumn 秋 (qiū) and winter 冬 (dōng)
四强
the top four
四川大学
Sichuan University
四库
the four book depositories, namely: classics 经, history 史, philosophy 子 (zǐ), belles-lettres 集
四下
everywhere
四旧
the Four Olds (target of the Cultural Revolution)
四射
to radiate all around
四边
four sides
四通八达
roads open in all directions (idiom); accessible from all sides
四面楚歌
lit. on all sides, the songs of Chu (idiom); fig. surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help
四重奏
quartet (musical ensemble)
四川盆地
Sichuan basin
四书
Four Books, namely: the Great Learning 大学, the Doctrine of the Mean 中庸, the Analects of Confucius 论语, and Mencius 孟子
四面体
tetrahedron
四溅
(of droplets, sparks etc) to fly about in all directions; to splatter everywhere
四边形
(geometry) quadrilateral
四月份
April
四溢
(of a perfume or a foul odor) permeating the whole place; (of grease etc) dripping everywhere; flowing all over the place
四声
the four tones of Middle Chinese: level tone 平声, rising tone 上声, departing tone 去声 and entering tone 入声; the four tones of Modern Standard Mandarin
四化
abbr. for 四个现代化 (sìgèxiàndàihuà), Deng Xiaoping's four modernizations
四平市
Siping, prefecture-level city in Jilin Province 吉林省 (JílínShěng)
四大发明
the Four Great Inventions (papermaking, printing, the compass, and gunpowder, traditionally regarded as the four major inventions of ancient China)
四部曲
tetralogy
四小龙
Four Asian Tigers; East Asian Tigers; Four Little Dragons (East Asian economic powers: Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong)
四舍五入
(math.) to round up or down; to round off
四叶草
four-leaf clover
四维空间
four-dimensional space (math.)
四轮驱动
four-wheel drive
四环素
tetracycline
四围
all around; on all sides; encircled
四一二
12th April; refers to Chiang Kai-shek's coup of 12th April 1927 against the communists in Shanghai
四清
the Four Cleanups Movement (1963-66); abbr. for 四清运动 (SìqīngYùndòng)
四驱车
four-by-four (vehicle); 4x4
四子王旗
Siziwang banner or Dörvön-xüüxed khoshuu in Ulaanchab 乌兰察布 (Wūlánchábù), Inner Mongolia
四德
four Confucian injunctions 孝悌忠信 (for men), namely: piety 孝 to one's parents, respect 悌 to one's older brother, loyalty 忠 to one's monarch, faith 信 to one's male friends; the four Confucian virtues for women of morality 德 (dé), physical charm 容, propriety in speech 言 and efficiency in needlework 功