五十
How to Understand
五十 (wǔ shí) is the Chinese word for the number fifty. It represents the quantity of 50, and it is commonly used in numerical contexts such as counting, measuring, or expressing age, distance, or amount.
The character 五 (wǔ) means 'five,' and 十 (shí) means 'ten.' Together, they form 五十, literally meaning 'five tens,' which is the standard way to express fifty in Chinese. This structure follows the base-10 system common in many East Asian languages.
五十 is widely used in daily life, from describing ages (e.g., 五十岁 for 'fifty years old') to indicating quantities in business, education, and casual conversation. It also appears in idioms and expressions, such as 五十步笑百步 (wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù), which means 'to mock someone for a smaller fault when you have a bigger one.'