How to Write 数 (shǔ/shù/shuò) — Meaning “number / to count”

Imagine a woman (女) carefully counting each grain of rice (米) with a stick in her hand (攵) — this visual scene directly represents the action of counting. Associate 数 with the number of rice grains she has counted.

Write the left part 娄 first (9 strokes: 米 then 女), followed by the right part 攵 (4 strokes: 撇, 横, 撇, 捺). A common mistake is making the 女 too wide — keep it narrow under 米, and ensure the final 捺 of 攵 extends slightly beyond the left part.

数 has 米 over 女 on the left, meaning "to count" or "number." 敏 has 每 (each) on the left and means "quick" or "clever." 救 has 求 (beg) on the left and means "to save." Visually, the left components are completely different, so focus on those shapes.

数 is used both as a verb (shǔ, meaning to count) and as a noun (shù, meaning number). It appears in common words like 数字 (digit/digital) and 数量 (quantity). In Chinese culture, 数数 (counting) is a basic skill taught to children, and the character is frequently seen in math and daily life.

Common words containing 数 include: 数字 (shù zì) — number / digit / digital; 数量 (shù liàng) — quantity / amount; 数数 (shǔ shù) — to count.