How to Write 伍 (wǔ) — Meaning “Five (formal); an army unit; a surname”

Picture a person (亻) holding up five (五) fingers to signal a team of five. The 'person plus five' image helps you recall that 伍 means a group of five or the formal number five. For extra memory, imagine the person is a soldier counting his squad.

Write the left radical 亻 first (two strokes: slash and vertical), then the right part 五 (four strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal). A common mistake is making the 亻 too wide or the 五 too narrow—keep the radical slender and the right component balanced. Ensure the three horizontal strokes in 五 are parallel and evenly spaced.

Visually, 伍 contains 五 (five) on the right, while 什 has 十 (ten) and 仁 has 二 (two). In meaning, 伍 refers to formal 'five' or a military unit, 什 means 'what' or 'ten' in some contexts, and 仁 means 'benevolence'. Pay attention to the right-side component to avoid confusion.

伍 is the formal or banker's numeral for 5, used in financial documents to prevent forgery (e.g., on checks). It also appears in military terms like 队伍 (troops) and 入伍 (to enlist). As a surname, 伍 is common in Chinese communities, notably the legendary figure Wu Zixu.

Common words containing 伍 include: 队伍 (duì wǔ) — ranks; procession; team; 入伍 (rù wǔ) — to join the army / to enlist; 伍 (wǔ) — Five (formal); an army unit; a surname.