What numbers are good luck in Chinese?

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San sounds like Sheng – which in Chinese means “life” or to give birth. Chinese culture puts emphasis on family and strong, healthy children, so Sheng has a positive connotation. In Buddhism, which is widely practiced in China, 3 is a significant number because it relates to the “three jewels”, a foundational ideal. Yi Liu Ba Yi liu Ba (168 in Chinese) has a similar pronunciation as Yi Lu Fa, which means to be lucky and prosperous on your way to success. 7 (Qi), pronounced qi/chi, is a number which symbolizes harmony and togetherness. It is the union of yin and yang, as well as the five elements of Confucianism.

Lucky numbers in China have similar pronunciations to words with lucky meanings. As well as these general number superstitions, fengshui and the Chinese zodiac dictate different number luck for different places/people. Like 5, 7 has both positive and negative connotations in Chinese culture. Qi can be described as Qi (qi), meaning “start” or “rise”, or Qi (qi), meaning “vital energy”. The Qixi Festival (Qi Xi Jie ), also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, falls on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. 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.

Wu, Wu

For example, gifting to friends or to couples seldom contains the number 3 in any form of association. Three is pronounced “san”, which is similar to the word that translates to ‘to part ways. Beside the notions above, each number has their unique meaning and significance. This is true whether you are in modern or old times, or in any culture in China or anywhere else in the world. It is a symbol of Buddha, Dharma, and Bonze in Buddhist culture. People ring the bell three times to worship Buddha, and then pray for the removal or calamities with 3 sticks each of incense. 9 (pronounced Jiu), is a popular number similar to 6 and 8.

We are a passionate group of 100 avid travelers who love sharing our knowledge about China with others looking for authentic travel experiences. This article explains everything you need to know about lucky numbers. Chinese people would like to choose ‘8’ as the time and/or date of important events. Most Chinese people love the numbers 8, 2, 6, 9 and 9.

What numbers are not liked by Chinese?

This is a striking feature that you’ll notice in building elevators, which often omit this number. Here’s an image of the elevator for even-numbered floors where number 4 is not mentioned at all. Thus, there were 9,999 rooms within the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is also a tradition between lovers to send 99, or 999 roses, which carry the best wishes for ‘everlasting love’. No. 6, pronounced as ‘Liu’, conveys indirectly its homophony’s meaning – Do everything smoothly. China Highlights tailor-makes China tours to help travelers discover China their way.

While ghosts may be seen as omens, the ghost festival in the 7th month is widely celebrated. 7 may also be considered unlucky because Qi sounds like Qi , meaning “cheat”. Is well known to be an unlucky number because Si sounds similar to Si (si), which means “death” in Chinese. Did you know that when you press the Chinese elevator button to reach the 50th floor, you might actually be reaching the 35th floor.

Lucky Numbers In China

All three numbers wish you a happy future. While only a few numbers are considered unlucky in China, the number 4 is the most unlucky as it rhymes with the word that means death. But in Chinese culture, 13 is a lucky number, which means ‘assured growth’ or ‘definitely vibrant’. This can be seen in repeated characters in brand names and gifts.

• 168 in Chinese (Yi Liu Ba yi liu ba) has a similar pronunciation to Yi Lu Fa , which means being lucky and prosperous all the way to success.
• With pronunciation of ‘Ba’ in Chinese, no. 8 sounds similar to the word ‘Fa’, which means to make a fortune.
• Mentioning the number four to an ill family member is considered to be highly offensive, and giving anything with 4 on it to someone can be seen as a death threat.
• 6 (Liu ), pronounced liu, is considered lucky as it sounds like the word that means ‘to flow’, and can indicate smooth progress in life.
  
• For example, gifting to friends or to couples seldom contains the number 3 in any form of association.
• No.7 is a symbol of mystery and holiness in Buddhism, but it can also be interpreted as lucky.
• The number 0 is a whole number as well as an even one, especially for money, and is thus considered a lucky digit.
• They also prefer residences on the eighth level of buildings.

No. 8 has been long considered the luckiest number within Chinese culture. With pronunciation of ‘Ba’ in Chinese, no. 8 sounds are similar to the word “Fa”, which means to make fortune. It can be used to denote success, prosperity, and high social status.

too, so all business men favor it very much.

Businesses will often repeat words in their names and slogans to bring luck. In fact, the Chinese are so superstitious about numbers, that they will often spend big money for “lucky numbers” in their life. Hangzhou man A8888 listed his license plate online for $140,000

What are the Lucky Numbers in China?

Chinese strongly believe in harmony and balance, hence even numbers naturally gain preference over odd numbers. The lucky digit 0 is both a whole number and an even number, especially in money. The number 3 can be unlucky as well depending on the situation and use.

4 is a well-known number that is unlucky. Si sounds very similar to Si (si), which in Chinese means “death”. People will do anything to please the superstitions associated with the number 4. Houses and apartments that have 4 in the address number will sell for much less than ones without.

It sounds like “a whole lifetime” and “forever” when pronounced in Chinese. They are often used to express love and forever commitment by lovers.

Combinations of the above are deemed as lucky numbers too, such as 66, 88, 168. Whilst no.7 implies holiness and mystery in Buddhism, it is lucky as well. China Highlights is happy to answer any questions you may have about this topic and can help plan a trip to China that includes a traditional tour through the country’s history.

In some parts of China, people will pay more for a number with 8 numbers. They also prefer residences on the eighth floors of buildings. A vehicle identification number 8 was auctioned for 5 million Hong Kong dollars in 1990.

8 is considered lucky and favored by Chinese because it holds meaning in both traditional and modern cultures. 3 (pronounced San ), which is pronounced san, can be considered lucky because it sounds similar to the word that refers to birth. Additionally, this number represents the three stages in the life of humans – birth, marriage, death – that adds to its importance in Chinese culture. Lucky numbers are believed to bring luck and fortune in Chinese culture. So, it is important for Chinese people to choose a good number for important items, such as wedding dates, dates of moving into a new house, numbers of car license plates, telephone numbers, and so on. For Chinese New Year, banners are placed symmetrically on both sides of the door.

6 (pronounced Liu ), is considered lucky because it sounds like the word “to flow”, and can signify smooth progress in your life. Similar to 8, 6 is preferred in number plates and phone numbers. When a couple gets engaged, the man customarily offers a gift to the girl’s family which is usually money and this gift signifies a harmonious life for the couple.

Lucky And Unlucky Chinese Numbers

This is because many buildings in China not only omit the 13th floor, but are also missing any floor containing the number 4, which is considered to be the unluckiest number in Chinese culture. Chinese’ fondness for 8 can be seen in many other cases, such as house numbers, phone numbers, number plates, wedding dates, the date for opening a business, and so on.

Talking about the number 4 to a sick family member is considered highly offensive. Giving someone anything with 4 on it can be viewed as a death threat. It is customary in China to consider even numbers more fortunate than odd numbers. So, gifts are given in even numbers for the celebration of all occasions.

Sometimes, Chinese prefer to text this to one another rather than saying “I love you” to each other. The number 250 is another set of digits that is used as an insult to call someone foolish or mock their intelligence in informal language. Er Bai Wu (er bai wu) is the literal way to say 250 in Chinese but people instead say ‘liang bai wu’. 520 is often used by young lovers in China who want to express their love for each other in a simple way. In Chinese, the pronunciation of 520 (Wu Er Ling wu er ling) bears some resemblance to wu ai ni (Wu Ai Ni ), which means ‘I love you’.