four
A1 (Extremely High Frequency)Universal across all registers from formal to informal.
Definition
Meaning
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of three and one; represented by the digit 4.
Used to denote a group or set of four people or things; a score in sports/games; a time of day (4 o'clock).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Beyond the cardinal number, it is deeply embedded in culture (four seasons, cardinal directions, four elements). Often associated with stability, completeness, and structure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Differences primarily appear in related compounds (e.g., 'fourth' vs. 'quarter' for fractions in certain contexts). Number formatting (1,234 vs 1.234) does not apply to single-digit 'four'.
Connotations
Largely identical connotations of stability and structure. In cricket, 'a four' is a boundary hit worth four runs. In American football, 'fourth down' is a crucial play.
Frequency
Equally fundamental and frequent in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[number] of [plural noun]: Four of the apples were rotten.[adjective] four [plural noun]: The remaining four candidates were interviewed.[verb] four [plural noun]: She divided the cake into four equal portions.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on all fours”
- “four-letter word”
- “four corners of the earth”
- “four-square (to)”
- “between four walls”
- “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reporting (Q4, four quarters), teams (a team of four), and metrics.
Academic
Found in statistics, groupings, classifications (four stages of development), and basic arithmetic.
Everyday
Extremely common for time, quantity, age, and scores.
Technical
Used in computing (4-bit, IPv4), engineering (four-stroke engine), and music (four-four time).
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- She scored a magnificent four to win the cricket match.
- The musician composed for a four of strings.
- They arrived in a group of four.
American English
- He hit a ground-rule double, which is essentially a four in baseball slang.
- The bridge tournament featured several competitive fours.
- A square has four equal sides.
adjective
British English
- The four main points were debated.
- They booked a four-bedroom cottage in Cornwall.
- He is four years old.
American English
- The four key principles are listed first.
- They live in a four-story walk-up in the city.
- The meeting is scheduled for four PM sharp.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have four apples.
- My son is four years old.
- The meeting starts at four o'clock.
- The project is divided into four distinct phases.
- We need four more volunteers to complete the team.
- He's lived in four different countries.
- The quartet, a musical group of four, performed flawlessly.
- The proposal rested on four fundamental pillars of evidence.
- Surveys were conducted across all four corners of the region.
- The treaty's success hinged on the precarious alignment of the four major powers.
- Her argument deconstructed the issue through a sophisticated four-part analytical framework.
- The novel's structure, a deliberate four-act division, mirrored the seasons.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
The word 'four' has four letters. The digit 4 is drawn with four lines (one vertical, two horizontal, one diagonal).
Conceptual Metaphor
FOUNDATION/STABILITY (a table has four legs), COMPLETENESS (four seasons, four directions), STRUCTURE/ORDER (a four-part plan).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing 'four' /fɔːr/ with 'for' /fɔːr/ in listening. No declension like Russian 'четыре, четырёх, четырём'. Pronouncing it as /for/ instead of /fɔːr/.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling confusion: 'four' vs. 'for'. Incorrect plural agreement: 'Four people is here' instead of 'Four people are here'. Mispronunciation as 'fower'.
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is 'four' used idiomatically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'four' is exclusively a noun or adjective (determiner). The related verb is 'quadruple' or 'increase fourfold'.
'Four' is a cardinal number (4). 'Fourth' is an ordinal number (4th), denoting position in a sequence, or a fraction (¼, one fourth/a quarter).
In languages like Japanese and Mandarin, the word for 'four' (shi, sì) sounds similar to the word for 'death', making it a homophone or near-homophone with negative connotations.
In standard dialects, they are perfect homophones (/fɔːr/ in AmE, /fɔː/ in BrE). Context is essential for differentiation.
Collections
Part of a collection
Numbers and Time
A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.