# Count the words in each sentence.



## sb70012

Hello,
I asked my Chinese friends how I could say this sentence in Chinese: "Count the words in each sentence."
They gave me different sentences. I'm confused. Would you please have a look at the following sentences and tell me which one is the exact meaning and the most common one to you?

1. 数出每个句子有几个单词
2. 数出每个句子中的单词
3. 数数每一句有几个单词
4. 计算每个句子中的单词
5. 数一数每个句子中有几个单词
6. 数一下每个句子有多少个单词
7. 数出每个句子中的单词
8. 数出每个句子的单词
9. 数出每个句子中的单词

This is the picture of my context => 
 

Thank you very much.


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## philchinamusical

sb70012 said:


> 1. 数出每个句子有几个单词
> 3. 数数每一句有几个单词
> 5. 数一数每个句子中有几个单词
> 6. 数一下每个句子有多少个单词



Those are the correct ones, while 5 are the most colloquial to me.

The others are fine but not accurate, or incomplete.


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## sb70012

Which word is used a lot to mean "count" as a verb in China a lot?

数出
数数
计算
数一

Which one of these four is used a lot in China to mean "count" as a verb?

Thank you.


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## HolyUnicorn

sb70012 said:


> Which word is used a lot to mean "count" as a verb in China a lot?
> 
> 数出
> 数数
> 计算
> 数一
> .



数出 would be my preference.  计算 means calculate, too technical.  数一 should be 数一*下*  数数 means counting numbers. (1,2,3,4,5,6)


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## philchinamusical

To me, "算" and "数" are both fine in these sentences, while "数" sounds more colloquial. Individually, "算" also means "calculate". 

There is another applicable verd as "统计(一下)", which means "summarize" in this context.


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## retrogradedwithwind

the whole translation
数出下列各句的单词数量。

count=数出……的数量


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## Skatinginbc

retrogradedwithwind said:


> 数出下列各句的单词数量。


Good, but if it is about counting the words in each English sentence, I would say 单字数量 (In Taiwan, we say 英文單字, not 英文單詞).  And if it is about counting the "words" (单词) in each Chinese sentence, I would simply walk out the classroom in protest because it is such a meaningless, idiotic task.  How many 单词 in the sentence "数出下列各句的单词数量"?  I honestly don't know, and I don't need to know to master the Chinese language.  Counting the characters (字) is more meaningful: 数(1)出(2)下(3)列(4)各(5)句(6)的(7)字(8)数(9) = 9.


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## NewAmerica

A math practice for kids in kindergarten?
5 would be okay for the kids. 
A bilingual education? Crazy enough for such small children.


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## Skatinginbc

I'm curious: Do people in the Mainland really say "词数" in the context of "the _word count_ in a text document (as calculated by a computer software like Microsoft Word)"?  I always say 字数 for "word count".  The task described in the original post is basically "doing a word count" (计算字数) as does a word processor.


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## SimonTsai

Skatinginbc said:


> In Taiwan, we say 英文單字, not 英文單詞.


I agree. But 英文單詞 is not absolutely wrong; it is just more or less foreign to my Taiwanese ear.


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## hx1997

Skatinginbc said:


> Do people in the Mainland really say "词数" in the context of "the _word count_ in a text document (as calculated by a computer software like Microsoft Word)"?



No. For English, word count = 词数; for Chinese, word count = 字数.


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## retrogradedwithwind

好像台湾那边用字翻译word的。和大陆的习惯不同。

在大陆，word固定译为"单词"（例外应该存在但很少）。一个word就是一个单词。
英语论word，即词数。汉语论字，字数。稿酬什么的都是统计字数。


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