Deciphering the Meaning of Chinese Numbers By Timothy Green
Posted by Darshana Sanrakshak Shambhala on January 2, 2011 at 9:14pm in Numerology
Many Chinese customs are centered around the belief in the power of certain
numbers, and the superstitions surrounding digits in Chinese culture only takes
second fiddle to the role of specific foods. The pronunciation of these numbers
also reflects the Chinese's affinity with homonyms, where many digits are
considered lucky or unlucky based on words that sound similar. This in turn,
affects the entire Chinese economy, since folks here will not buy anything
without careful consideration of the numerals involved.
Because of the
auspiciousness of certain numbers, Chinese will often pay large sums for phone
numbers, street addresses, residence floors, driver's license numbers, license
plate numbers and bank account digits. For example, a personal license plate
with the number eight can cost millions of dollars.
Lucky
Numbers
The number 2 (ar in phonetic English) is a positive number to
Chinese people. There's a Chinese saying: "Good things come in pairs." It's
common throughout the Middle Kingdom to see double symbols in product brand
names, which means double happiness and double value. When Chinese exchange
oranges during the Lunar New Year, they exchange two, four, or eight at a
time.
The number 6, pronounced leo, sounds like the word used for
"slippery," which implies that everything will go smoothly. 666 is considered
one of the luckiest numbers of all; it's displayed prominently in shop windows
across the entire country, and people often pay extra to get a mobile phone
number including this string of digits. In Guangzhou, a motorcycle license plate
numbered AW666 was sold for 270,000. RMB, (roughly $34,000. USD)!
The
number 8 in Mandarin is pronounced bah, which sounds similar to fah, meaning
prosperity and good fortune. If you've been to China, you've probably noticed
the unusual frequency of this esteemed digit used in the phone numbers of
hotels, airlines and most major businesses. Telecommunication companies and car
registration authorities charge extra for each number 8. For example, the
Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Shanghai has the phone number 6252-8888. Northwest
Airline's number is 6279-8088; China Travel Services is 6247-8888.
In
Chengdu, China, the telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for $270,000. USD. The
Summer Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to open 8/8/08, at 8 P.M.
The
number 9, pronounce jeo, is also a homonym for the word "everlasting." To the
Chinese, it signifies friendship, love, and long life.
The Unluckiest
Number
Number 4 (sih) sounds like the word "death," and is therefore
considered a bad omen. Many numbered product lines skip the 4, e.g. Nokia cell
phones do not have a series beginning with a 4, and most residential buildings
skip all numbers with 4, e.g. 4, 14, 24, 34, and 40 - 49 floors. The airlines,
trains and buses all bypass this unfortunate number.
Number 14,
pronounced shir sih, sounds like "ten die." But it can also be said as ee sih,
literally "one-four." Another common way to say one, is yaow. Thus, 14 can be
said as yaow sih, literally meaning: "want to die." Not a
favorite!
Lastly, research has revealed that more Chinese are likely to
die from heart attacks or heart disease on the fourth of the month, obviously
due to the superstition related stress evoked by the unlucky number, which in
turn, triggers cardiac deaths.
Well, I've covered the basics in lucky and
unlucky numbers, but like most things in China, numbers and their meanings are
extremely deep-rooted, with many nuances and complexities involved. Consider
this a quick crash course. Chinese numerology dates back to the first century
A.D. when Emperor Fu His discovered a tortoise shell said to contain a magic
number square, which led to the development of I Ching, Feng Shui, Nine Star Ki,
geomancy, and Chinese astrology and numerology. Volumes could be written on the
subject, and I'll leave that to the mystics and academies.