sei3四

Jyutpingsei3

Yalesei

數詞Very common

Definition

Four; the number 4.

jat1一nin4年jau5有sei3四go3個gwai3季zit3節。

jat1一nin4年jau5有sei3四go3个gwai3季zit3节。

A year has four seasons.

neutralnumbers

How it's used

Cantonese speakers often avoid using this number in certain contexts due to its phonetic similarity to the word for death. You will frequently notice that building floor numbers skip any level containing this digit, such as 14, 24, or 44. It is considered unlucky in business or when giving gifts, so people prefer to use other numbers whenever possible.

Examples

ngo5我uk1屋kei2企jau5有sei3四go3個jan4人zyu6住。

There are four people living in my home.

nei5你maai5買zo2咗sei3四go3個ping4蘋gwo2果mei6未aa4呀？

Have you bought four apples yet?

Related words

Common phrases

sei3四wai4圍

all around

sei3四dim2點

four o'clock

Common mistake

Beginners often forget that when counting items, you must include a measure word between the number and the noun. Saying 四蘋果 is grammatically incorrect; it must be 四個蘋果.