七
现在是七点钟。
It's seven o'clock now.
The cardinal number between six and eight.
他买了七本书。
He bought seven books.
七天是一周。
Seven days make a week.
Used in counting, time, dates, and ordinal contexts (e.g., 第七 'seventh').
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Writing Seven in Chinese
The character 七 is written with a single horizontal stroke followed by a downward-left stroke (一 then ㇚). Practice stroke order to avoid confusion with 切 or 七 (mirrored).
Gold Rule
Numeral Order in Chinese
Chinese numerals follow a multiplicative-additive system (e.g., 七十 = 7 × 10 = 70). For numbers 11–19, use 十 + unit (e.g., 十三 = 13).
Word Origin
Pictogram of seven tally marks; evolved from the character for 'divide' (分) in oracle bone script, later simplified to the current form.
Usage Notes
七 is a basic numeral in Chinese, appearing in compound numbers (e.g., 七十 'seventy'), time expressions, and cultural contexts like the Seven Sisters (七仙女). Avoid confusion with the character 切 (qiē, 'to cut') in handwriting.