Chinese Lucky and Unlucky Numbers
中国数字文化 (zhōngguó shùzì wénhuà) — Why 8 means wealth, 4 means death, and 520 means “I love you”
Many Chinese buildings have no 4th floor, the elevator jumps from 3 to 5, or labels it “3A.” A phone number or license plate full of 8s can auction for a small fortune, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics opened at 8:08 PM on 8 August. None of that is superstition about the digits themselves: it comes from what the numbers sound like. 四 (sì, 4) is almost the same word as 死 (sǐ, “death”), while 八 (bā, 8) echoes 发 (fā, “to prosper”).
Transcript
- Why is four unlucky, but eight lucky?
- Four sounds almost the same as the word for death,
- 四 (sì)
- 死 (sǐ)
- That's why many Chinese buildings have no 4th floor.
- Eight echoes the first syllable of the phrase for getting rich,
- 八 (bā)
- 发财 (fācái)
- It comes from what the numbers sound like.
It comes from what the numbers sound like.
You may not personally believe in the Chinese system of lucky and unlucky numbers, but it is widely recognized in Chinese culture. Knowing their meanings can make it easier to follow conversations and understand cultural nuances when the subject comes up.
That one mechanism runs through prices, wedding dates and text-message slang alike, so a number could be considered good or a quiet warning. If you can already count in Chinese from 1 to 10,000, this guide adds the layer of meaning that native speakers hear behind each digit.
What does your number mean?
Type any number and it is explained digit by digitEvery digit has a character, a reading, and often a word it sounds like — 4 (四 sì) is close to 死 (sǐ, to die), 8 (八 bā) to 发 (fā), as in 发财 (to get rich), and 9 (九 jiǔ) is a true homophone of 久 (jiǔ, a long time). Type a number above and each of its digits is explained, with whole-number codes such as 520 and 1314 read as phrases. Nothing is sent anywhere and nothing appears in the address bar — the lookup runs entirely in your browser.
How close are these sound-alikes, really?
Almost every page on this subject writes “8 sounds like prosper” and “9 sounds like long-lasting” in the same breath, as though the two were equally true. They are not. 九 (jiǔ) and 久 (jiǔ) really are the same syllable in the same tone. 四 (sì) and 死 (sǐ) are the same syllable in a different tone. 八 (bā) and 发 (fā) do not even share an initial consonant — the resemblance is real to a Chinese ear, but it is only a resemblance. Similar, but not the same sound.
Of the 10 sound resemblances this page relies on, only one is a true homophone (same syllable, same tone), and three more differ from their digit only in tone. The rest are partial, which is why the decoder labels each one rather than calling them all “sounds like”. The digits that are auspicious through a set phrase rather than a sound — 2 and 6 — are not counted here at all, because no resemblance is being claimed for them.
This matters beyond pedantry: a learner who takes “sounds like” literally starts saying fā where bā belongs. The decoder above labels every resemblance with which kind it is, and each reading and meaning it shows is the one our own Chinese dictionary gives for that character. If you want to hear the difference a tone makes, why so many Chinese words sound alike is the longer version of this argument.
Lucky Numbers (吉利数字)
The numbers below are considered lucky because they echo words for wealth, smoothness, and long life.
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | Sounds like / comes from | Why it’s considered lucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 二 | èr | 好事成双 | Good things come in pairs (hǎoshì chéng shuāng); doubling brings good fortune |
| 3 | 三 | sān | 生 shēng (life) | Associated with life, birth, and growth |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | 五行 / 五福 | Linked to the five elements and the “five blessings” — balance and completeness |
| 6 | 六 | liù | 顺 shùn (smooth), via 六六大顺 | 六六大顺 (liùliù dàshùn) — “everything goes smoothly.” Online a run of 6s is praise, from 溜 (liū, slick) — note the tone: 六 is liù, 溜 is liū |
| 8 | 八 | bā | 发 fā, as in 发财 | The luckiest number — sounds like 发财 (fācái, “get rich”) |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | 久 jiǔ (lasting) | Eternity and longevity; historically the emperor’s number |
Unlucky Numbers (不吉利数字)
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | Sounds like | Why it’s avoided |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 四 | sì | 死 sǐ (death) | The most avoided number — the fear of it is called “tetraphobia” |
| 7 | 七 | qī | — | Mildly negative — the 7th lunar month is “Ancestor Month,” but 七 also appears in the romantic 七夕 festival |
| 250 | 二百五 | èr bǎi wǔ | — | Slang for “idiot” — never use it to describe a person or set a price |
Number Codes & Secret Messages
Because digits are homophones, Chinese speakers spell out whole phrases with numbers — a habit born on pagers and now everywhere in texting and social media.
| Code | Pinyin | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 520 | wǔ èr líng | 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ | I love you |
| 521 | wǔ èr yī | 我愿意 wǒ yuànyì | I’m willing / I do |
| 1314 | yī sān yī sì | 一生一世 yīshēng yīshì | Forever, a whole lifetime |
| 5201314 | — | 我爱你一生一世 | I’ll love you forever |
| 88 | bā bā | bye-bye / 发发 | Goodbye (and “double prosper”) |
| 666 | liù liù liù | 溜溜溜 | Awesome, skillful (internet praise) |
| 995 | jiǔ jiǔ wǔ | 救救我 jiùjiù wǒ | Help me! |
| 484 | sì bā sì | 是不是 shì bù shì | Is it? / right? |
Where Lucky Numbers Show Up in Real Life
- Prices: shops love prices like ¥88, ¥168 (一路发, yīlù fā — “fortune all the way”), and ¥888, while avoiding anything ending in 4.
- Phone numbers & license plates: a number full of 8s is a status symbol and can auction for huge sums.
- Building floors: many buildings skip the 4th, 14th, and 24th floors; you may ride an elevator that labels a floor “3A” instead of 4 (some also skip 13 from Western influence).
- Weddings & gifts: couples pick dates with 8s and 9s (9 = 久, lasting love), red envelopes (红包) use amounts like 88 or 666, and gifts are given in pairs — never in fours.
- A famous example: the 2008 Beijing Olympics opened at 8:08 PM on 8 August 2008 — four 8s for maximum good fortune.
Numbers 0–9 at a Glance
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin | Cultural verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 | líng | Neutral — wholeness, completeness |
| 1 | 一 | yī | Neutral/positive — unity, a fresh start |
| 2 | 二 | èr | Lucky — good things in pairs |
| 3 | 三 | sān | Mostly positive — growth and life |
| 4 | 四 | sì | Unlucky — sounds like “death” |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | Neutral/positive — balance, five elements |
| 6 | 六 | liù | Lucky — smoothness |
| 7 | 七 | qī | Mixed — ancestor month, but also romance |
| 8 | 八 | bā | Luckiest — wealth and prosperity |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | Lucky — longevity |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the luckiest number in China?
8 (八 bā) — it sounds like 发 (fā, “prosper”), as in 发财 (fācái, “get rich”), so it stands for wealth and good fortune.
Why is 4 unlucky in Chinese culture?
4 (四 sì) sounds almost identical to 死 (sǐ, “death”). This fear is called tetraphobia, and it’s why many buildings skip floors with a 4 in them.
What does my number mean in Chinese?
Any number can be read digit by digit. Each digit has a character and a reading, and some of those readings resemble another word: 4 (四 sì) is close to 死 (sǐ, to die), 8 (八 bā) to 发 (fā), as in 发财 (to get rich), and 9 (九 jiǔ) is a true homophone of 久 (jiǔ, a long time). The number decoder on this page breaks a number into its digits, gives each one its reading and the word it echoes, says how close that resemblance really is, and reads whole-number codes such as 520, 1314, 995 and 666 as phrases.
What does 520 mean in Chinese?
520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ, “I love you”). May 20 has become an unofficial Chinese Valentine’s Day, and 5201314 means “I love you forever.”
What does 1314 mean in Chinese?
1314 (yī sān yī sì) sounds like 一生一世 (yīshēng yīshì, “a whole lifetime”). It is usually paired with 520, as in 5201314 — “I will love you forever.”
Is 7 lucky or unlucky in China?
Mostly neutral, leaning slightly negative — the 7th lunar month is “Ancestor Month” — but 七 also appears in the romantic 七夕 (Qīxī) festival, so it isn’t strongly avoided like 4.
Why is 9 associated with the Chinese emperor?
9 (九 jiǔ) sounds like 久 (jiǔ, “long-lasting”), so it stands for longevity and permanence. As the highest single digit it was reserved for the emperor — the Forbidden City is traditionally said to have around 9,999 rooms — and 9 is still popular for weddings to wish a couple lasting love.
What amount should you avoid when giving money in China?
Avoid anything containing 4. Use figures built around 8, 6, and 9 instead — red envelopes often use 88, 168, or 666 — and give gifts in pairs.
Ready to use these numbers? Practice counting and number patterns in our Chinese Translation tool, and perfect the tones for 八, 六, and 九 with the Interactive Pinyin Chart.
Reading a table is not the same as knowing it. Eight or Four starts by showing you a character and asking which number it is, and ends with you typing the reading of the word a digit echoes — four levels, beginner to expert, and every question is built from the same dictionary as the tables above.
Eight or Four
Four levels of Chinese number instinct — from reading 八 to typing the word it echoes.Four levels, beginner to expert. Ten questions a round; get eight right to unlock the next level. Advanced and Expert run against a clock, and a streak of three or more multiplies your score.