算 (suàn): to count; to calculate

Meanings

1 to count; to calculate
2 to regard as; to count as

Characters

算

suàn

calculate; count; regard as

Contains ⺮ (bamboo radical) - counting with bamboo rods (early abacus).

Examples

HSK 1

你算一下多少钱。

Nǐ suàn yíxià duōshao qián.

Calculate how much it costs.

HSK 1

这不算贵。

Zhè bú suàn guì.

This is not considered expensive.

HSK 1

算了，不去了。

Suàn le, bú qù le.

Forget it, I'm not going.

Tips

usage

算了 (suàn le) is one of the most useful phrases - it means "forget it" or "never mind." You use it when giving up or dropping a matter: 算了算了，不说了 (Forget it, I won't say anymore).

Components

radical

⺮ zhú

bamboo (cap radical form)

Top bamboo radical (⺮, the cap-position form of 竹) - the indexing radical. Anchors 算 in the counting/document family: ancient Chinese counted using bamboo rods or abacus pieces, and recorded numbers on bamboo strips. Same radical caps 等, 笑, 答, 节, 第, 笔.

semantic

目 mù

eye

Middle 目 'eye' - depicting the eye watching the bamboo counting rods. Together with ⺮ on top and 廾 'two hands' below, the whole ideograph shows an attentive accountant: eye fixed on the abacus, hands manipulating it under the bamboo strips.

semantic

廾 gǒng

two hands cupped

Bottom 廾 'two hands cupped' - depicts hands manipulating the counting rods. Completes the trio: bamboo above, eye watching, hands counting. A rare three-component compound ideograph that gives a full picture of the calculation process.