吉利 · 不吉
Lucky and unlucky numbers in Chinese
The luck of a Chinese number comes from its sound. A number that sounds like a good word is lucky; one that sounds like a bad word is avoided. The table shows each one with the word it echoes, so you can hear the pun for yourself.
| Number | Sounds like | Meaning | Reputation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 八 bā | 发 fā | to prosper, as in 发财 (get rich) | lucky |
| 6 六 liù | 溜 liū | smooth, slick: things going well | lucky |
| 9 九 jiǔ | 久 jiǔ | long-lasting, a favourite at weddings | lucky |
| 2 二 èr | a pair | good things come in pairs (好事成双) | lucky |
| 4 四 sì | 死 sǐ | to die | unlucky |
| 7 七 qī | 起 / 欺 qǐ / qī | to rise, but also to cheat; the seventh lunar month is the ghost month | mixed |
| 3 三 sān | 生 / 散 shēng / sàn | life, but also to split up | mixed |
8: the number of prosperity
八 bā and 发 fā differ only in their first consonant, and 发 is the “prosper” of 发财 fācái, to get rich. Documented cases of the belief at work:
- The Beijing Olympics opened on 8 August 2008, at 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 in the evening, local time.
- In 2003 Sichuan Airlines paid 2.33 million yuan for the Chengdu phone number +86 28 8888 8888.
- Doubled, 88 also echoes 囍, the “double happiness” sign used at weddings.
Lucky strings stack the puns: 168 read yī liù bā sounds like 一路发 yī lù fā, “prosper all the way”, and 518, read with 幺 yāo for 1 as in phone numbers, sounds like 我要发 wǒ yào fā, “I will prosper”.
4: the number people skip
四 sì sounds like 死 sǐ, “to die”. In Mandarin the vowels and consonants match and only the tone differs; in Cantonese the two are nearer still, and the avoidance is strongest in Cantonese-speaking places. Some buildings in East Asia leave out floor numbers containing a 4. One Hong Kong tower, 39 Conduit Road, leaves out 43 floor numbers, including every floor from 40 to 49, and goes straight from 68 to 88. Phone numbers and addresses with 4s are avoided by some buyers, and in Singapore the bus operator SBS Transit has skipped registration plates whose numbers end in 4.
6 and 9
六 liù echoes 溜 liū, “smooth”, so 6 suits business and exams. 九 jiǔ is a perfect homophone of 久 jiǔ, “long-lasting”, which makes it a wedding number, and historically nine was the emperor's number.
Numbers with two faces
七 qī can sound like 起 qǐ, “to rise”, but also like 欺 qī, “to cheat”, and the seventh month of the lunar calendar is the ghost month. 三 sān can echo 生 shēng, “life”, or 散 sàn, “to break up”. Which one a speaker hears depends on the context and the speaker.
Number puns also run the other way, into slang: 520 for “I love you”, 88 for “bye-bye”, 250 as an insult. Those have their own page.
Questions from learners and teachers
Why is 8 a lucky number in China?
Because 八 bā sounds like 发 fā, "to prosper", the word in 发财 (to get rich). The association is strong enough to set prices and dates: the Beijing Olympics opened on 8 August 2008 at 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 pm, and in 2003 Sichuan Airlines paid 2.33 million yuan for the phone number +86 28 8888 8888.
Why is 4 unlucky?
四 sì sounds like 死 sǐ, "to die". In Mandarin the two differ in tone; in Cantonese they are closer still, and the avoidance is strongest in Cantonese-speaking places such as Hong Kong, where some buildings skip floor numbers with a 4. It is a belief some people hold rather than a rule: Teochew tradition, for one, treats 4 as a lucky even number.
Is 6 lucky?
Yes, mostly for business: 六 liù sounds like 溜 liū, smooth or slick, so 66 and 666 suggest things going without a hitch. Online, 666 has become praise for a skilful move; see the number slang page.
Does the lucky-number belief change how numbers are said?
No. The words are ordinary numbers and are said the usual way: 八 is still bā and 四 still sì. What changes is which numbers people choose for prices, phone numbers, car plates and dates.