四
FOUR
Mnemonic
Picture a toddler with chubby legs (儿) climbing into a box (口).
The box has FOUR sides — just like the number this kanji stands for.
Imagine this as a playful four-year-old who loves boxes, and you’ll remember FOUR.
Example Vocabulary
-
四人（よにん） – four people
Click to recall: 人 = -
四つ子（よつご） – quadruplets
Click to recall: 子 = -
四月（しがつ） – April (the fourth month)
Click to recall: 月 = -
四日（よっか） – the 4th day of the month
Click to recall: 日 =
The many faces of four
四 shows up in very practical ways: it counts people (四人) and even the rare case of quadruplets (四つ子). It also marks months in 四月 and specific days like 四日. But not every association is positive — because 四 can sound like 「死」 (death), you’ll sometimes find it avoided in hospital rooms, hotel floors, or apartment numbers. This mix of everyday usefulness and cultural superstition makes 四 a number worth noticing in Japan.
Example Sentences
- 四人でえいがを見ました。– We watched a movie with four people.
- 日本では四月にしんがっきがはじまります。– In Japan, the new school year begins in April.