In Chinese culture, the luckiest numbers are 8, 6 and 9, and the unluckiest is 4, mainly because of how the words sound. In Mandarin, 8 (bā) sounds like fā, "to prosper"; 6 (liù) sounds like a word for smooth, flowing progress; 9 (jiǔ) sounds the same as the word for long-lasting; and 4 (sì) sounds very close to sǐ, "death". Even numbers in general, and pairs, are considered good, as in the saying that good things come in pairs.
These are folk beliefs, held lightly by some people and seriously by others, and they vary between regions and between Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. But they're visible everywhere, from building floors to wedding dates.
Why the sound of a number matters
Chinese has many words that sound alike, or nearly alike, with only the tone or a small sound changed. A number that sounds like a happy word picks up that happiness; one that sounds like a grim word picks up the gloom. This is wordplay rather than calculation, which makes it quite different from Western numerology, where meaning comes from adding digits.
Because the sounds differ between Chinese languages, so do some of the associations. The link between 8 and prosperity is strong in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Others, like the good sound of 2 in Cantonese, are mainly regional.
The numbers from 0 to 9
| Number | Mandarin | Sounds like | Usual reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | líng | (no strong association) | Neutral |
| 1 | yī | (no strong association) | Mostly neutral; a beginning |
| 2 | èr | (in Cantonese, "easy") | Good: good things come in pairs |
| 3 | sān | shēng, "life", but also sàn, "to scatter" | Mixed, mostly good |
| 4 | sì | sǐ, "death" | Unlucky |
| 5 | wǔ | wú, a word for "me"; in Cantonese, "not" | Mixed |
| 6 | liù | a word for smooth, slick progress | Lucky |
| 7 | qī | qí, "together", and qǐ, "to rise" | Mixed |
| 8 | bā | fā, "to prosper" | Very lucky |
| 9 | jiǔ | jiǔ, "long-lasting" | Lucky, especially for love |
A few of these deserve more than a table row.
8: the luckiest number
Eight is so prized that people pay for it. A phone number made up of 8s was bought by Sichuan Airlines in 2003 for about 2.33 million yuan, and the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics began at 8:08 pm on the eighth day of the eighth month. Prices ending in 8 and addresses full of 8s are popular for the same reason. Written side by side, 88 also resembles the character for double happiness.
4: the unlucky one
Because 4 sounds like death, many buildings in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere skip floors numbered 4, and sometimes 14, 24 and so on. Hospitals and apartment blocks tend to avoid it most carefully. Some Hong Kong towers skip so many unlucky numbers that the top floor's number is far higher than the real count of storeys: at one, 39 Conduit Road, the top floor is numbered 88.
6 and 9: smooth and lasting
Six is popular for business and for good wishes in general. A common phrase, liù liù dà shùn, wishes that everything goes smoothly. Nine sounds exactly like the word for long-lasting, which makes it a favorite for weddings and anniversaries, and it has old associations with the emperor.
7: it depends
Seven is good for relationships, since it sounds like "together", and the Qixi festival, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, is a romantic holiday. But the seventh lunar month is also the Ghost Month, when many families avoid big events. So 7 is welcome in some settings and avoided in others.
Number combinations people use
Because numbers can be read aloud as phrases, certain strings have become shorthand:
- 168 (yī liù bā): sounds like "fortune all the way". Popular in business.
- 518 (wǔ yāo bā): sounds like "I am going to prosper". The 1 is read as yāo here, as it often is in phone numbers.
- 520 (wǔ èr líng): sounds like "I love you". May 20 has become a popular date for proposals and marriage registrations in mainland China.
- 1314 (yī sān yī sì): sounds like "one life, one lifetime", meaning forever. Paired with 520 as 5201314, "I love you forever".
- 66: "smooth, smooth", and online slang for someone who's skilled.
- 250 (èr bǎi wǔ): an insult, roughly "idiot". Nobody wants a gift of 250 of anything.
That last one shows how particular these readings can be. It's the spoken phrase, not the digits, that carries the meaning.
Where you'll see it in daily life
- Weddings. Couples favor dates with 8 or 9, avoid 4, and many families still consult the traditional almanac for an auspicious day. Our guide to wedding date numerology compares this with the Western approach.
- Money gifts. Cash in red envelopes is often given in amounts with 8s or 6s and without 4s.
- Phone numbers, license plates and addresses. Numbers rich in 8s carry a premium; numbers rich in 4s can be harder to sell. Our guide to phone number numerology covers the Western way of reading a line.
- Buildings. Missing fourth floors, as above, and in some buildings a missing 13th as well.
How this compares with Western numerology
The two traditions barely overlap. In Western numerology, 4 is a solid, hardworking number, the builder, with nothing grim about it. Western superstition saves its dread for 13, a story told in our article on whether 13 is unlucky. And Western numerology works by adding digits, while Chinese number luck works by sound.
Chinese tradition does have structured number systems too. The Lo Shu grid, a 3×3 magic square, is the basis of much of feng shui, and the Kua number uses it to give each person a set of favorable directions.
Questions readers ask
What is the luckiest number in Chinese culture?
Eight, because bā sounds like fā, "to prosper". Six and nine are also considered very lucky, for smoothness and long life.
Why is 4 unlucky in China?
Because sì, four, sounds almost the same as sǐ, death. The tones differ, but the resemblance is close enough that many people avoid 4 in phone numbers, floors and dates. The same belief is found in Japan and Korea, where the word for four can also sound like the word for death.
Is 7 a lucky number in China?
It's mixed. Seven sounds like "together" and is linked with a romantic festival, but the seventh lunar month is Ghost Month. Context decides.
What does 888 mean?
In Chinese tradition, 888 is triple prosperity, about as lucky as a number gets. In the Western angel number tradition, 888 is also read as a number of abundance, by a completely different route.
