Chinese–EnglishWith examples

倒数

dào shǔ · dao shu/dào shù · dao shu

Traditional 倒數

HSK 7–9

Meaning

CC-CEDICT

dào shǔ 倒數

  1. to count backwards (from 10 down to 0)
  2. to count down
  3. from the bottom (lines on a page)
  4. from the back (rows of seats)

dào shù 倒數

  1. inverse number
  2. reciprocal (math.)
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In a conversation

0:26 cartoon

Hide and seek

  1. Liangliang

    我们(wǒmen)玩(wán)捉迷藏(zhuōmícáng)吧(ba)，我(wǒ)来(lái)倒数(dàoshǔ)。

    Let's play hide and seek. I'll count down.

  2. Dengdeng

    好啊(hǎoa)！你(nǐ)要(yào)倒数(dàoshǔ)到(dào)几(jǐ)？

    Sure! Count down from what?

  3. Liangliang

    从(cóng)十(shí)倒数(dàoshǔ)到(dào)一(yī)，不许(bùxǔ)偷看(tōukàn)！

    From ten down to one. No peeking!

  4. Liangliang

    十(shí)，九(jiǔ)，八(bā)，七(qī)，六(liù)，五(wǔ)，四(sì)，三(sān)，二(èr)，一(yī)！

    Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!

  5. Dengdeng

    啊(a)？这么(zhème)快(kuài)？我(wǒ)还(hái)在(zài)树(shù)后面(hòumian)系(xì)鞋带(xiédài)呢(ne)！

    What? So fast? I'm still tying my shoelace behind the tree!

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

她(tā)总(zǒng)是(shì)在(zài)班(bān)上(shàng)拿(ná)倒(dào)数(shǔ)第(dì)一(yī)。

She is always at the bottom of the class.

Tatoeba: Chinese by crescat · English by darinmex · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

我(wǒ)是(shì)倒(dào)数(shǔ)第(dì)二(èr)个(gè)得(dé)知(zhī)这(zhè)个(ge)坏(huài)消(xiāo)息(xi)的(de)。

I was the second to last person to hear the bad news.

Tatoeba: Chinese by sadhen · English by emmettricks · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Choose a character to watch its strokes or trace it yourself.

Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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