七十二

qīshí'èr

number #34,321

Meanings

1 seventy-two
2 a symbolic number meaning 'many' or 'a great variety'

Characters

Examples

HSK 1

他今年七十二岁。

Tā jīnnián qīshí'èr suì.

He's seventy-two years old this year.

HSK 7-9

孙悟空会七十二变。

Sūn Wùkōng huì qīshí'èr biàn.

Sun Wukong knows the seventy-two transformations.

Tips

culture

More than just a number: in Chinese tradition 七十二 is a symbolic 'lots' - Confucius is said to have had 72 worthy disciples (七十二贤人), 孙悟空 the Monkey King has 七十二变 (72 transformations), and 三十六行 'thirty-six trades' has its sister phrase 七十二行 'seventy-two trades' meaning every line of work.

Stroke Order

七 qī

十 shí

二 èr