Numbers and luck: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English

The conversation

Speakers: Xiuying and Yichen.

1. Xiuying

   你(nǐ)的(de)手(shǒu)机(jī)号(hào)怎(zěn)么(me)全(quán)是(shì)四(sì)？谁(shuí)给(gěi)你(nǐ)的(de)？

   Why is your phone number full of fours? Who gave you this?

2. Yichen

   便(pián)宜(yi)呗(bei)。

   It was cheap.

3. Xiuying

   对(duì)啊(a)，因(yīn)为(wèi)四(sì)跟(gēn)死(sǐ)谐(xié)音(yīn)。

   Right, because four sounds like death.

4. Yichen

   我(wǒ)不(bú)在(zài)乎(hu)，我(wǒ)住(zhù)在(zài)十(shí)四(sì)楼(lóu)。不(bú)过(guò)说(shuō)真(zhēn)的(de)，没(méi)人(rén)愿(yuàn)意(yì)住(zhù)。

   I couldn't care less, I live on the fourteenth floor. Seriously though, nobody else wants to live there.

5. Xiuying

   很(hěn)多(duō)大(dà)楼(lóu)都(dōu)没(méi)有(yǒu)四(sì)楼(lóu)或(huò)者(zhě)十(shí)四(sì)楼(lóu)，我(wǒ)那(nà)栋(dòng)直(zhí)接(jiē)从(cóng)十(shí)三(sān)到(dào)十(shí)五(wǔ)。

   A lot of buildings don't even have a fourth or fourteenth floor, mine just skips straight from thirteen to fifteen.

6. Yichen

   那(nà)大(dà)家(jiā)抢(qiǎng)着(zhe)花(huā)大(dà)钱(qián)买(mǎi)的(de)车(chē)牌(pái)号(hào)是(shì)什(shén)么(me)数(shù)字(zì)？

   What numbers do people pay a fortune to get on their license plates?

   1. 八(bā) Eight
   2. 七(qī) Seven
   3. 十(shí) Ten

   Answer

   八(bā) Eight

7. Xiuying

   八(bā)啊(a)，听(tīng)着(zhe)跟(gēn)发(fā)财(cái)的(de)发(fā)一(yí)样(yàng)，全(quán)是(shì)八(bā)的(de)车(chē)牌(pái)能(néng)卖(mài)出(chū)天(tiān)价(jià)。

   Eight, obviously. It sounds like fa as in getting rich, so a license plate full of eights can sell for a crazy amount.

8. Yichen

   北(běi)京(jīng)奥(ào)运(yùn)会(huì)开(kāi)幕(mù)式(shì)就(jiù)是(shì)2008年(nián)8月(yuè)8日(rì)晚(wǎn)上(shang)8点(diǎn)8分(fēn)。

   The Beijing Olympics opening ceremony was on August 8, 2008 at 8:08 PM.

9. Xiuying

   网(wǎng)上(shàng)发(fā)666代(dài)表(biǎo)厉(lì)害(hai)，六(liù)跟(gēn)溜(liū)顺(shùn)谐(xié)音(yīn)。

   Typing 666 online means someone is awesome, because six sounds like being smooth and flowing.

10. Yichen

    我(wǒ)侄(zhí)子(zi)在(zài)我(wǒ)每(měi)张(zhāng)照(zhào)片(piàn)下(xià)面(miàn)都(dōu)刷(shuā)这(zhè)个(ge)。

    My nephew floods every single photo of mine with that.

11. Xiuying

    你(nǐ)给(gěi)对(duì)象(xiàng)发(fā)红(hóng)包(bāo)可(kě)得(děi)注(zhù)意(yì)，520谐(xié)音(yīn)是(shì)我(wǒ)爱(ài)你(nǐ)。

    You've gotta be careful sending red packets to your significant other, 520 sounds like I love you.

12. Yichen

    还(hái)有(yǒu)1314代(dài)表(biǎo)一(yì)生(shēng)一(yí)世(shì)，我(wǒ)给(gěi)媳(xí)妇(fu)转(zhuǎn)过(guò)13.14元(yuán)。

    And 1314 means for a lifetime, I once transferred 13.14 yuan to my wife.

13. Xiuying

    既(jì)浪(làng)漫(màn)又(yòu)抠(kōu)门(mén)，不(bú)过(guò)你(nǐ)千(qiān)万(wàn)别(bié)给(gěi)别(bié)人(ren)转(zhuǎn)250。

    Romantic yet stingy, though you definitely shouldn't send anyone 250.

14. Yichen

    为(wèi)啥(shá)不(bù)能(néng)转(zhuǎn)？

    Why's that?

15. Xiuying

    因(yīn)为(wèi)二(èr)百(bǎi)五(wǔ)骂(mà)人(rén)是(shì)个(ge)傻(shǎ)子(zi)，就(jiù)跟(gēn)那(nà)个(ge)顶(dǐng)着(zhe)一(yì)堆(duī)四(sì)的(de)手(shǒu)机(jī)号(hào)一(yí)样(yàng)。

    Because 250 is an insult meaning an idiot, just like that phone number of yours covered in fours.

Hear it read aloud in the app