5 in Chinese = 五 (wǔ)

The number 5 in Chinese is pronounced "woo" (like the sound you make to excite someone, with a dipping-rising tone), written in pinyin as "wǔ", and the character is 五.

Quick Answer

Pronunciation

Wǔ (五) uses Mandarin's third tone—the "dipping tone." Your voice starts mid-level, dips down, then rises back up.

Step by step:

1. Start at your normal speaking pitch
2. Drop your voice down
3. Rise back up at the end
4. Say "woo" (like "whoo-hoo!" but just the "woo" part) with that dipping-rising motion

Think of it like drawing a small valley or checkmark with your voice.

Common mistakes:

• Only dropping without rising back up
• Making it too short—the third tone needs time to complete the dip-rise
• Starting too high—begin at mid-pitch, not high
• Pronouncing it like "wuh"—it should be a clear "woo" sound

The Character 五

The Chinese character 五 consists of four strokes arranged in a distinctive pattern. Unlike 一, 二, and 三, it doesn't visually represent "five," but it's still a relatively simple character to recognize and write.

In traditional Chinese, you'll see the same character 五. This character is identical in simplified and traditional forms.

Cultural Significance

The number 5 holds important meaning in Chinese philosophy and culture:

The Five Elements (五行 wǔ xíng): One of the most fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy:

• 木 (mù) - Wood
• 火 (huǒ) - Fire
• 土 (tǔ) - Earth
• 金 (jīn) - Metal
• 水 (shuǐ) - Water

These five elements are believed to interact and balance each other, influencing everything from medicine to feng shui.

Other "fives" in Chinese culture:

• Five cardinal directions: North, South, East, West, Center
• Five virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faithfulness
• Five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty
• Five organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys

Generally neutral: Unlike 4 (unlucky) or 8 (lucky), 5 is relatively neutral. It's neither particularly lucky nor unlucky, though its association with balance and the five elements gives it philosophical importance.

Practical Usage

Counting: When counting objects, 五 is used with measure words:

• 五个 (wǔ gè) = five (general items)
• 五本书 (wǔ běn shū) = five books
• 五杯茶 (wǔ bēi chá) = five cups of tea

Prices:

• 5元 = 五块 (wǔ kuài) - in spoken Chinese
• 50元 = 五十元 (wǔ shí yuán)
• 500元 = 五百元 (wǔ bǎi yuán)

Times and dates:

• 5:00 = 五点 (wǔ diǎn)
• May = 五月 (wǔ yuè)
• Friday = 星期五 (xīng qī wǔ)
• The 5th day = 五号 (wǔ hào)

Phone numbers: When giving phone numbers, each digit is pronounced separately. Five is always 五 (wǔ).

Regional Variations

The pronunciation of 五 (wǔ) remains consistent across Mandarin-speaking regions, but other Chinese dialects have their own pronunciations:

Cantonese: ńg⁵ (sounds like "ng" - a nasal sound) Hokkien/Taiwanese: gō͘ Shanghainese: ng

If you're in mainland China, Taiwan, or Singapore speaking Mandarin, stick with wǔ.

Common Phrases with 5

第五 (dì wǔ): Fifth, number five

五星级 (wǔ xīng jí): Five-star (as in five-star hotel)

五颜六色 (wǔ yán liù sè): Colorful, multi-colored (literally "five colors, six colors")

五花八门 (wǔ huā bā mén): All kinds of, varied, diverse

五湖四海 (wǔ hú sì hǎi): All corners of the country (literally "five lakes, four seas")

五一 (wǔ yī): May 1st, International Workers' Day (Labor Day in China)

三五成群 (sān wǔ chéng qún): In small groups (literally "threes and fives forming groups")

Quick Takeaways

• 5 in Chinese is 五 (wǔ) with a dipping-rising third tone
• It's pronounced like "woo" with your voice making a valley shape
• The character consists of four strokes in a distinctive pattern
• Five is philosophically important due to the Five Elements concept
• It's culturally neutral—neither lucky nor unlucky
• Many traditional Chinese concepts are organized in groups of five
• The third tone is crucial—it must dip down and rise back up

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If you're in China and need to hear how five sounds in context, TravelNum shows you exactly how any number is pronounced in Chinese.