As with 四, the number five was once written as five horizontal lines. The origin of this character as five is uncertain, but may have been a pictograph of a thread reel, a wooden lid, or simply a meaningless shape.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Reading Meaning
⭐ 五 ご five
⭐ 五つ いつつ five things

この箱にはりんごが五つ入っている。

There are five apples in this box.🔗
七五三 しちごさん the Shichi-Go-San festival

今年は娘の七五三だ。

Our daughter will be in the Shichi-Go-San festival this year.🔗
五日 いつか fifth day of the month; five days
五月 ごがつ May
五穀 ごこく the five grains
五色 ごじき five colors, many kinds
五目飯 ごもくめし dish with rice, fish, and vegetables
五月 さつき fifth month of lunar calendar
五月雨 さみだれ early summer rain
五十音 ごじゅうおん fifty sounds, the Japanese syllabary