“Four” or “Fourth” in Japanese kanji, and the Stroke Order and Meanings of Kanji “四”
Japanese Jouyou-kanji “四” means “All directions”, “10 O’clock” or “Four times” etc.
Jouyou Kanji “四”
Jouyou Kanji “四” Stroke Order
| Stroke # | 5 Strokes |
|---|---|
| On-Yomi | し(shi) |
| Kun-Yomi | よ(yo) |
| よ(つ)(yo(tsu)) | |
| よ(っつ)(yo(ttsu)) | |
| よん(yon) | |
| Meanings | Four, Fourth, Four times |
| All sides, All directions | |
| AM and PM 10 O’clock |
Kanji words which contain Kanji “四”, and their meanings
| Words | Meanings |
|---|---|
| 四阿(しあ or あずまや-shi a or) a zu ma ya) | Arbor, Bower, Alcove, Garden house |
| 四夷(しい-shi i) | Four Barbarians, Surrounding barbarians |
| 四恩(しおん-shi o n) | Four gratitudes (to one’s parents, all living beings, one’s sovereign and the Three Jewels), Four obligations |
| 四海(しかい-shi ka i) | The whole world, The four seas |
| 四海兄弟(しかいきょうだい-shi ka i kyo u da i) | People in the whole world being all brothers, Universal brotherhood |
| 四海波静か(しかいなみしずか-shi ka i na mi shi zu ka) | The world is at peace |
| 四海比隣(しかいひりん-shi ka i hi ri n) | The countries of the world should become like close neighbors to each other |
| 四角四面(しかくしめん-shi ka ku shi me n) | Square, Formal, Very formal and no flexibility |
| 四角張る(しかくばる-shi ka ku ba ru) | ① Being formal, To be angular, ② Squarish |
| 四気(しき-shi ki) | Weather of the four seasons (warmth of spring, heat of summer, cool of autumn and cold of winter), Four seasons |
| 四季(しき-shi ki) | Four seasons |
| 四極(しきょく-shi kyo ku) | Far ends (countries) of east, west, south and north |
| 四隅(しぐう-shi gu u) | Four corners |
| 四苦八苦(しくはっく-shi ku ha kku) | Be in great trouble, Having a very hard time |
| 四君子(しくんし-shi ku n shi) | (Like) The four gentlemen (plum, chrysanthemum, orchid, and bamboo) |
| 四股(しこ-shi ko) | ① Sumo-style leg stomps, ② Both arms and both legs |
| 四顧(しこ-shi ko) | ① Looking everywhere, Looking in all four directions, ② Neighborhood, Vicinity |
| 四更(しこう-shi ko u) | Fourth watch of the night (approx. 1am to 3am) |
| 四散(しさん-shi sa n) | Dispersing, Scattering (in all directions) |
| 四肢(しし-shi shi) | Arms and legs, Four limbs |
| 四時(しじ-shi ji) | ① The four seasons, ② Morning, noon, evening and night of a day |
| 四捨五入(ししゃごにゅう-shi sha go nyu u) | Round off |
| 四周(ししゅう-shi shu u) | Periphery, Circumference |
| 四十雀(しじゅうから-shi ju u ka ra) | Japanese great tit |
| 四十九日(しじゅうくにち-shi ju u ku ni chi) | (Buddhist services for the repose of someone’s soul held on) the forty‐ninth day after his death |
| 四重奏(しじゅうそう-shi ju u so u) | Instrumental quartet |
| 四十にして惑わず(しじゅうにしてまどわず-shi ju u ni shi te ma do wa zu) | Once a person reaches 40 we stop being confused |
| 四十八手(しじゅうはって-shi ju u ha tte) | The forty‐eight tricks of sumo wrestling |
| 四旬節(しじゅんせつ-shi ju n se tsu) | Lent |
| 四書(ししょ-shi sho) | The Four Books (Confucian texts) |
| 四神(しじん-shi ji n) | Four Taoist gods said to reign over the four directions, Four gods said to reign over the four seasons |
| 四姓(しせい-shi se i) | The four Hindu castes |
| 四聖(しせい-shi se i) | The four great sages (Buddha, Christ, Confucius, Socrates) |
| 四諦(したい or しだい or してい-shi ta i (or) shi da i (or) shi te i) | Four Noble Truths |
| 四大(しだい-shi da i) | ① The four elements (earth, water, fire, wind), ② Tao, heaven, earth and king, ③ The human body |
| 四大節(しだいせつ-shi da i se tsu) | The four grand national holidays (of past era Japan) |
| 四端(したん-shi ta n) | The four beginnings (in Mencius’s belief in humanity’s innate goodness), The four sprouts |
| 四知(しち-shi chi) | No matter how secret one keep something, it will always be leaked to others, Even if it’s a secret between just the two of you, the heavens already know it and also the earth already knows it |
| 四注造り(しちゅうづくり-shi chu u du ku ri) | Hip roof, Hipped roof, Building with a hip roof |
| 四通八達(しつうはったつ-shi tsu u ha tta tsu) | Traffic network extending in all directions |
| 四天王(してんのう-shi te n no u) | ① The Four Heavenly Kings (Dhrtarastra, Virudhaka, Virupaksa and Vaisravana), ② The big four (i.e. four leaders in a given field) |
| 四百四病(しひゃくしびょう-shi hya ku shi byo u) | Every type of disease |
| 四表(しひょう-shi hyo u) | World |
| 四部合唱(しぶがっしょう-shi bu ga ssho u) | Four-part harmony, Chorus in four parts |
| 四部合奏(しぶがっそう-shi bu ga sso u) | Quartet |
| 四分五裂(しぶんごれつ or しぶごれつ-shi bu n go re tsu (or) shi bu go re tsu) | Torn asunder, Disrupted and disorganized |
| 四壁(しへき-shi he ki) | ① Walls, ② Neighborhood, ③ A poor house with only walls |
| 四望(しぼう-shi bo u) | ① Looking in all directions, ② Four-way view |
| 四方拝(しほうはい-shi ho u ha i) | Prayer to the Four Quarters (Japanese imperial New Year’s ceremony) |
| 四民(しみん-shi mi n) | The four social classes (of Edo-period Japan; samurai, farmers, artisans, merchants) |
| 四面楚歌(しめんそか-shi me n so ka) | Being surrounded by enemies on all sides, Being betrayed (forsaken) by everybody |
| 四隣(しりん-shi ri n) | Whole neighborhood, Surrounding countries |
| 四六時中(しろくじちゅう-shi ro ku ji chu u) | Around the clock, Day and night, All the time |
| 四六判(しろくばん-shi ro ku ba n) | Shirokuban (paper size of 127x188mm), Duodecimo |
| 四つ足(よつあし-yo tsu a shi) | Four-legged, Four-footed, Animate being, Brute, Animal, Creature, Fauna, Beast |
| 四つ切り(よつぎり-yo tsu gi ri) | ① Quarter, Cutting into four, ② Photograph size 254mm x 305 mm |
| 四つ相撲(よつずもう-yo tsu zu mo u) | Sumo wrestling in which both wrestlers grasp the other’s belt with both hands |
| 四つ辻(よつつじ-yo tsu tsu ji) | Crossroads, Intersection, Crossway, Carrefour |
| 四つ手網(よつであみ-yo tsu de a mi) | Four‐armed scoop net |
| 四つ身(よつみ-yo tsu mi) | ① Cross-grips (situation in which each rikishi has an underarm grip on the other), ② Kimono made for young children |
| 四つ目(よつめ-yo tsu me) | Design of four squares |
| 再三再四(さいさんさいし-sa i sa n sa i shi) | Time and time again, Time and again, Over and over again, Again and again, Over and over, Repeatedly |
| 朝三暮四(ちょうさんぼし-cho u sa n bo shi) | Being preoccupied with immediate (superficial) differences without realizing that there are no differences in substance |
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