also: し · よ
numeric
four; 4
The number four. Reading よん is preferred in isolation; し is common in compounds and counting but may be avoided due to its association with death. 肆 is a formal variant used in legal documents.
机の上にリンゴが四つあります。
There are four apples on the desk.
四月は新学期の始まりです。
April is the start of the new school year.
Rare standalone reading; mostly appears in specific compounds or traditional counting.
Arabic numeral form, common in horizontal writing and informal contexts.
Formal kanji used in legal and financial documents to prevent forgery.
Native Japanese numeral; the kanji 四 is a pictograph originally representing a square divided into four parts. The reading よん derives from the native Japanese counting system, while し is the Sino-Japanese reading.