八
bā
8 — wealth
Lucky and unlucky numbers in China
Many numbers sound almost like words, and that shapes which phone numbers, dates and prices people choose. It is also where internet codes like 520 come from.
Lucky and unlucky
- 8 (bā) sounds like 发 (fā) in 发财, "to get rich". Numbers and dates full of eights are prized: the Beijing Olympics opened on 8 August 2008 at 8 p.m.
- 6 (liù) comes from the wish 六六大顺, "may everything go smoothly".
- 9 (jiǔ) sounds like 久, "long-lasting", which makes it popular for wedding gifts.
- 4 (sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ), "death". Many buildings and hospitals skip the fourth floor.
Number codes in messages
- 520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), "I love you". May 20 (5.20) is an unofficial day for confessing love in China.
- 1314 (yī sān yī sì) sounds like 一生一世, "for a lifetime". 5201314 means "I will love you all my life".
- 666 (liù liù liù) in chats and games means "awesome, skilful".
- 88 (bā bā) means "bye", from the English bye-bye.
- 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ, 250) is an insult meaning "fool".
五二零
wǔ èr líng
520 — I love you
一三一四
yī sān yī sì
1314 — for a lifetime
六六六
liù liù liù
666 — awesome
八八
bā bā
88 — bye
二百五
èr bǎi wǔ
250 — fool
More about numbers
Frequently asked questions
Why is 8 a lucky number in China?
八 (bā) sounds like 发 (fā) in 发财, "to get rich", so numbers, dates and prices with eights are prized.
What does 520 mean in Chinese?
520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), "I love you".
Why is 4 an unlucky number in China?
四 (sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ), "death", which is why many buildings have no fourth floor.
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