This is why FINRA doesn’t consider you to be a “pattern day trader” unless you execute four or more round-trip trades within five business days. A round-trip trade can be either buying a security and then selling it, or selling a security and then buying it.
The pattern day trading rule only applies if the number of day trades is 6% or more of your total trades during the five business days. For example, if you make four day trades but have 100 total trades in your account, day trading only makes up 4% of your trading activity, and you wouldn’t be flagged as a pattern day trader.
Your brokerage firm is also required to flag your account as a pattern day trader if they have a reasonable belief that you will day trade. As an example, if you previously had an account with the same broker and were a day trader then, it could be reason enough to label your new account as a pattern day trader as well.