this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
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[–] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 120 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (5 children)

1 = 壹 2 = 貳 3 = 參 4 = 肆 5 = 伍

These exist as well.

They're used in places where numbers should NOT be forged(i.e. bank documents...)

This is how they got their numeric meanings btw.

[–] danekrae@lemmy.world 56 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 21 points 2 days ago

Their math homework must take forever

[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 14 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I don't get 4. At least the kanji 4 looks very different

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeaaaah, I don't know Chinese, but I've never seen a kanji of four horizontal lines, just 四 for 4

[–] JollyBrancher@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I never learned it as four lines. 四 was the way to do it. Maybe locally or something the hip kids are doing? Source: Mandarin professor ETA: I was a person of simplified Chinese though

[–] Chrobin@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 days ago

I guess the image is a lie and the Kanji are chosen by the reading and not because they contain the number kanji. It's just that due to phonetic radicals, containing the number may give it the same reading.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

A very Christmassy number, that 4. A Chrismas tree and the scaffolding to decorate it.

[–] ViperActual@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Does 0 have a shorthand character as well?

[–] thecatprincx@pawb.social 20 points 3 days ago

Can be written as 〇

I'm not sure about China but in Japan there's 〇 which can be used like so: ハ〇〇円 to mean 800 yen, in a restaurant menu for example

[–] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works -3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

It's pretty complicated as-is so no.

Edit: clearly misunderstood the question. see below.

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This reply makes no sense lol

[–] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Sorry, I misunderstood what shorthand meant. I thought the question was whether there's a complex variant, like 一 → 臺 for 零.

I'm an ESL speaker, so please forgive me.

零 is the only character, as far as I know. 一, 二, ... are not shorthands; they're the original characters, while 臺 and other more complex forms are used only in certain situations where necessary.

Hope this is what the questions was about.

[–] Gonzako@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Oh, cool af! I got adviced to always write years with all 4 numbers not to allow forgeries