四 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
四 simply means four — the number. You'll use it constantly: telling the time, giving dates, counting things, and saying prices. The only thing that makes 四 slightly tricky for beginners is that it has two common readings, シ and よん/よ, and Japanese people switch between them depending on the word. The good news is that the most useful patterns are predictable, and we'll lay them out below.
One cultural note worth knowing from day one: シ sounds exactly like 死 ("death"), so in a lot of everyday situations people prefer よん to avoid the unlucky echo. That's why you'll hear よんじゅう for "forty" and よん rather than し when counting out loud.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | シ | 四月 (しがつ, April), 四十 (しじゅう, forty) |
| kun'yomi | よ | 四時 (よじ, 4 o'clock), 四日 (よっか, the 4th) |
| kun'yomi | よ.つ / よっ.つ | 四つ (よっつ, four things) |
Unlike most number kanji, 四 doesn't follow a clean "kun alone / on in compounds" rule — both readings appear inside compounds, so it's best to learn the key words one by one. A practical habit: when you say "four" by itself while counting, reach for よん; it's the safe, natural choice and sidesteps the 死 association.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 5. Write the box from the outside in — left vertical, then the top-and-right corner in one stroke, then the two short strokes inside, and finally close the bottom of the box last.
- Radical: 囗, the "enclosure" radical (くにがまえ). It's the full square frame around the outside. You'll see the same frame in kanji like 国 (country) and 回 (times/rotation), so spotting that box is a useful clue.
Remember to close the bottom line last — leaving the box "open" until the end is the standard order and keeps the proportions even.
Common words using 四
Notice how the readings jump around: 四月 uses シ (しがつ), but 四時 uses よ (よじ) and 四十 is usually よん (よんじゅう). These three — 四月 = しがつ, 四時 = よじ, 四日 = よっか — are the ones to memorize as fixed shapes rather than trying to derive them.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは四つのボールで遊びます。
ヤッタンは よっつの ボールで あそびます。
Yattan plays with four balls.
四つ — the kun'yomi よっ.つ reading for counting things.
モチの誕生日は四月四日です。
モチの たんじょうびは しがつ よっかです。
Mochi's birthday is April 4th.
Two readings in one sentence: 四月 (しがつ, シ) and 四日 (よっか, よ). Both are fixed words to memorize.
先生は「四時に教室へ来てください」と言いました。
せんせいは「よじに きょうしつへ きてください」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Please come to the classroom at four o'clock.'
四時 = よじ — note the irregular よ reading for telling time.
Quick recap
- 四 = four; 5 strokes; radical is 囗 (the "enclosure" box).
- Two main readings: on'yomi シ and kun'yomi よ / よん / よっ.つ.
- Learn these as fixed words: 四月 = しがつ, 四時 = よじ, 四日 = よっか, 四つ = よっつ.
- When counting aloud, よん is preferred over し — し sounds like 死 ("death").
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 四 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is 四 read し or よん?
Both. The on'yomi is シ (as in 四月 = しがつ, 'April') and the kun'yomi is よ/よん (as in 四時 = よじ and 四十 = よんじゅう). When counting aloud, people usually say よん because し sounds like 死, 'death'.
Why do people avoid reading 四 as し?
し is a homophone of 死 ('death'), which feels unlucky in Japanese. To sidestep that, speakers often pick the kun'yomi よん when counting, giving directions, or saying numbers out loud.
How do I read the date 四日?
四日 is よっか, meaning both 'the 4th of the month' and 'four days'. It's an irregular reading you should memorize as a set word.
What's the reading for 四時 (4 o'clock)?
四時 is read よじ, not しじ. Telling time uses the kun reading よ here, so remember it as a fixed exception.