七

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 七 (qī) for "seven" is composed of two parts: 丿 (piě) and 一 (yī). The component 丿 represents a person holding a stick, while 一 represents the number "one". Together, they form the character 七, which originally meant "a person holding seven sticks". This character has been used in Chinese writing for thousands of years and has remained largely unchanged in its form and meaning.