What do numbers mean in China? 666 is Lucky or Sinister?
In Chinese culture, numbers are believed to bring good luck or misfortune to the lives of the people. China is a land of lucky numbers and superstitions when it comes to numbers and their significance. It is believed that some numbers are auspicious and some are ominous. Because of the symbolic meanings these numbers hold and what they mean to Chinese people. These numbers have an effect on how they perceive things in their daily life. For instance, the auspicious numbers or the lucky numbers heavily influences some Chinese people’s choice in phone numbers, game rules, decorations or numbers displayed on objects. To explain further let’s look into the meanings of these auspicious and inauspicious numbers.
Lucky, Unlucky and Neutral
The auspicious numbers are believed to be that of 4 and 7.
China’s lucky numbers are 6, 8, and 9.
Neutral numbers are 0, 1, 2, 3 and 5.
In some cases neutral numbers are both lucky and unlucky or have no association with luck of any kind.
- 零 líng
Zero means everything or nothing. It is limitless. Chinese people think everything begins with 0. Overall the number zero is inauspicious and for the most part, considered a good number or a neutral number.
一 yī
The number 1, has a simplistic meaning also seen as a neutral number because number one represents a winner or top class whereas “1” also can represent loneliness. Number one is neither deemed auspicious nor inauspicious. Remaining balanced in neutrality.二 èr
In the Chinese way of thought number 2 suggests harmonious existence and reproduction of good things such as happiness, joy, and luck. There is a Chinese saying: “good things come in pairs”. But on the flipside, in some areas of China, people use the number two (èr) to describe someone is stupid and reckless which is the antonymous to the first meaning.三 sān
The number 3 is greatly used through China’s culture, history and modern society. Many major ground breaking events in China happened in three’s leading some to believe 3 most be a heavenly number linked to prosperity and success. This lucky number is said to sound similar to the character of “birth” (生 shēng). For a person’s life, there are three very important stages: birth, marriage and death. Birth is a stage of new beginnings and of course new possibilities with favorable outcomes.四 sì
4 is well known to be an unlucky number because 四 sounds similar to 死 (sǐ), which means "death" in Chinese. 4 has an ominous point of view similar to the number “13” in the western world. Because of this, 4 is avoided in all aspects. The number 4 is not to be uttered too often and not to be put on display because it’s perceived to bring bad karma, misfortune and an overall death vibe. As a result of this belief the number 4 is often omitted from building addresses, ID numbers, phone numbers, license plates, clothing, company names and logos. When constructing buildings the fourth floor is often left out, blocked out or skipped over. In buildings, the floors might go from the third floor directly to fifth floor, or the fourth floor is replaced with 5A. Giving anything to someone that has the number four is offensive to say the least.五 wǔ
The number 5 is considered a neutral number in China but still considered more lucky than unlucky. The number five is relevant as a lucky number because there are five blessings in China, which is wealth, happiness, longevity, luck and prosperity. 5 is lucky in that regards. 5 is thought to be a neutral number because in Chinese the number five sounds similar to 无 (wú), which means “nothing” “without” which can mean neither good or bad.六 liù
The number 6 is generally considered to be lucky in China because 六 sounds like 流 (liú), which means "flow" in Chinese. The number 6 is symbolic for being well-off. Multiples numbers of sixes are considered extremely lucky. Unlike in western culture triple six is seen as a very evil and ominous number or the sign of the devil but in Chinese culture “666” is held in high regards and considered a very lucky number. This cultural difference will probably cause a western traveler in China to gasp at the sight of “666” numbers blasted on flyers and t-shirts because many businesses display the number 6 as a sign of good fortune. There’s also a popular Chinese idiom, 六六大顺 (liù liù dà shùn), which means that things will go smoothly.七 qī
7 has both positive and negative connotations in Chinese culture. For the positive side, 七 sounds like both 起 (qǐ), which means “start” or “rise”, and also 气 (qì), which means “vital energy”. Seven is also seen as a lucky number for relationships. The Qixi Festival (七夕節), also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. For the negative side, the 7th month is also known as the “ghost month” in China, where ghosts and spirits are believed to rise from hell to visit earth. While ghosts may be seen as omens, the ghost festival in the 7th month is widely celebrated. 7 may also be considered unlucky because 七 sounds like 欺 , meaning “cheat”.八bā
The pronunciation of the number 8 is “bā”, very close to the Chinese character “发(fā)” as in “发财(fā cái)”, which means “to become wealthy.” People in China traditionally associate fortune with the number “Eight”. To give you an example to just how greatly the number 8 is favored, the telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for a whopping amount of USD $270,723 in Chengdu. If you still don’t believe the number eight is highly regarded as a lucky number, let’s refer to the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The ceremony opened on the August 8th (08/08/08), at precisely 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 PM Beijing time.九 jiǔ
The number 9 is yet another lucky number, because it has exactly the same pronunciation as the Chinese character “久(jiǔ)”, which has the meaning of “everlasting”. For example, on Valentine’s Day, a man would express his love by presenting 9999 roses to his girl to show that his love towards her is everlasting.
Numbers in internet slang
On internet web forums, chatrooms and other Chinese social media networks, a combination of numbers have also developed meanings not particularly related to luck, but developed into greetings and phrases.
520 (wǔ èr líng) - 520 is used for 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), which means "I love you" in Chinese. Sometimes Chinese people prefer texting this to each other as opposed to saying the actual phrase.
88 (bā bā) - 88 is commonly used when signing out of web forums, signing off chatrooms, or ending a discussion when texting online, to represent “bye-bye”.
1314 (yī sān yī sì) - 1314 represents 一生一世 (yī shēng yī shì), which literally translates to "one life one world". This is often combined with 520 to get 5201314, or “I love you forever”.
555 (wǔ wǔ wǔ) - 555 represents 呜呜呜 (wū wū wū), it’s a kind of onomatopoeia, meant to symbolize a crying sound.
What do you think? Would you ever buy a license plate that has “666” on it? Would you accept a phone number with a lot of number “4s”? Or will you text your loved one “520”?