Usage note
数表示计算，也表示数字。
shù biǎo shì jì suàn， yě biǎo shì shù zì。
Count means to calculate, and it can also mean numbers.
Context note
数常用于数学和统计。
shù cháng yòng yú shù xué hé tǒng jì。
Count often appears in math and counting.
5 examples
请数一数。
qǐng shù yi shù。
Please count it.
我会数数。
wǒ huì shuò shuò。
I can count.
数字很多。
shù zì hěn duō。
There are many numbers.
他在数人数。
tā zài shù rén shù。
He is counting people.
数到十。
shù dào shí。
Count to ten.
5 mini stories
孩子们在数星星。
hái zi men zài shù xīng xīng。
The children are counting stars.
老师让我们数一数苹果。
lǎo shī ràng wǒ men shù yi shù píng guǒ。
The teacher asked us to count the apples.
我把数写在纸上。
wǒ bǎ shù xiě zài zhǐ shàng。
I wrote the numbers on paper.
他数了三次才确定。
tā shù le sān cì cái què dìng。
He counted three times before being sure.
数数可以帮助学习数学。
shuò shuò kě yǐ bāng zhù xué xí shù xué。
Counting can help with learning math.
Mini dialogue
数苹果
A
你能帮我数一数有几个苹果吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ shǔ yī shǔ yǒu jǐ gè píngguǒ ma?
Can you help me count how many apples there are?
B
好的，一、二、三，我数了三个。
Hǎo de, yī, èr, sān, wǒ shǔ le sān gè.
Okay, one, two, three, I counted three.
数到十
A
我们来玩捉迷藏，你从一数到十。
Wǒmen lái wán zhuōmícáng, nǐ cóng yī shǔ dào shí.
Let's play hide-and-seek, you count from one to ten.
B
好，我开始数了。
Hǎo, wǒ kāishǐ shǔ le.
Okay, I'm starting to count.
Related words and contrasts
related
数字
shùzì
number
数字 is a noun meaning number, while 数 is the verb meaning to count.
related
计算
jìsuàn
calculate
计算 means to calculate, which often involves counting.