Numbers hold great importance in China not just for certain things but for everyday life. It is important you are aware of numbers which are considered lucky and unlucky, especially when giving gifts or in a business context.
4 The number four (, pinyin: s) is considered the unluckiest number in China because the word for four rhymes with the word for death ( pinyin: s). Some buildings and hospitals will even omit the number four from elevators when numbering floors. When gift-giving, avoid giving gifts in fours or gifts that have the digit four associated with them. The same goes for giving money, avoid giving amounts with the digit four, for example, 40 or 14 RMB. This view of the number four also effects the way products are priced in China.
3 The number three (, pinyin: san) can be considered unlucky in certain situations. For example, it would be rare to give gifts to friends or couples with something containing the number three. This is because the word for three is similar to the word which means to part ways.
Alternatively, the number 3 is generally considered lucky due to its similarity in sound to the word for birth. This number represents the three stages of life of humans - birth, marriage and death, which adds to its importance in Chinese culture.
Lucky numbers in China
The number 8 is the luckiest number in China. It is associated with wealth, success and status. In modern China, the number eight (,pinyin: b) is associated with wealth as it rhymes with the word for ' to make a fortune' (, pinyin: f), thus eight is considered to attract great wealth.
The number eight influences a lot of every-day decisions and aspects in Chinese culture. For example, the price of a car will be much higher if the number plate features the number eight. A house on the eight floor or with the number eight will be highly sought after due to the lucky nature of the number. It is also preferred that a mobile number contains one or more digit of eight.
Events related to the number 8
The 2008 Olympics
The Chinese love the number 8 and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was no exception. The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics commenced exactly at 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 pm on the 8th August, the 8th month of the 8th year of the 21st century. This was seen as great importance for China and gave hope for great success for the country's team during the events.
2008 was also a popular year for births. In 2008, there were 170 million new-borns, 5 million more than 2007, making a record since the 1990s. Most of the babies were born around August (the 8th month). Couples hope that the year will bring their child good luck and fortune.
The number 2 (pronounced er or liang), is also lucky as the Chinese believe that all good things come in pairs. This is observed in repeated characters in some brand names or gifts.
6 (), pronounced liu, is considered lucky as it sounds like the word that means 'to flow', and can indicate smooth progress in life. It also means well-off. Similar to 8, 6 is preferred in number plates and phone numbers.
A person's 66th birthday is a grand celebration in China. In business, 6 is considered lucky and so new ventures or contracts will be signed on dates that have 6 in them.
7 (), pronounced qi/ chi, is a number that symbolises togetherness and harmony as it's considered to be the union of yin, yang and the five elements in Confucianism.
The number 9, pronounced jiu, is a popular number, much like 6 and 8. It is similar to the word that means everlasting. It is common to gift your beloved one 99 roses on Valentine's Day in China. 9 is the highest single digit number and hence represents completeness.
Each Chinese zodiac sign has lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. Make sure to check your own lucky numbers based on your Chinese zodiac!
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The above contents are provided by Zhuhai Aihua Mandarin.
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