Lucky
Eight sounds like the word for getting rich. Phone numbers and number plates full of eights sell for large sums, and the Beijing Olympics opened at 8 pm on 8 August 2008.
Life in Mainland China
Lucky and unlucky numbers in China
Numbers are chosen by how they sound. Eight brings wealth, four is avoided, and 520 means I love you.
Play: Lucky or not?Chinese has few syllables and many words that share them, so a number often sounds like a word. That sound decides what a number means: which flat sells, which phone number costs more, which day couples marry.
Lucky
Six sounds like 'flowing', as in things going smoothly. Online, 666 means 'brilliant'.
Lucky
Nine sounds like 'long-lasting', so it is a number for weddings and long life.
Avoided
Four sounds like the word for death. Many buildings have no fourth floor, or no 14th, and numbers full of fours are cheap.
I love you
Said aloud, five-two-zero sounds like 'I love you'. 20 May has become a day for couples, and many register their marriage on it.
Forever
One-three-one-four sounds like 'a whole lifetime'. Sent in a message, or as a money gift of 13.14.
A fool
Calling someone a 250 calls them an idiot, so prices and gifts avoid it.
Counting on one hand
Chinese counts from one to ten on a single hand. One to five are as in English. Six is the thumb and little finger out, like a phone; seven is the fingertips pinched together; eight is the thumb and forefinger in an L; nine is a hooked forefinger; ten is a fist, or the two forefingers crossed. Market traders use it across a noisy stall.
Gifts and colours
Red is for luck: New Year couplets, wedding dress, red envelopes of money. White is the colour of mourning. Gifts avoid clocks, because "giving a clock" sounds like seeing someone off at their funeral, and pears are not cut to share, because "sharing a pear" sounds like "separating". Money gifts come in even amounts, avoiding fours.
The twelve animals
Each lunar year belongs to one of twelve animals in turn: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The year changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January.
| Lunar year | Animal | Begins |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Horse | 17 Feb 2026 |
| 2027 | Goat | 6 Feb 2027 |
| 2028 | Monkey | 26 Jan 2028 |
| 2029 | Rooster | 13 Feb 2029 |
| 2030 | Dog | 3 Feb 2030 |
| 2031 | Pig | 23 Jan 2031 |
Play
Lucky or not?
Numbers, colours, gifts and the zodiac.
Why is 8 the luckiest number?
Answer
It sounds like the word for getting rich. It sounds like the word for getting rich, which is why the Beijing Olympics opened at 8 pm on 8 August 2008.
Many buildings skip which floor?
Answer
The 4th. The 4th, because four sounds like the word for death. Some skip 14 and 24 too.
What does 520 mean in a message?
Answer
I love you. I love you: five-two-zero sounds like it. 20 May has become a day for couples.
Someone calls you a 250. What are they saying?
Answer
You are a fool. That you are a fool. Avoid it as a price or a gift amount.
Which of these is NOT given as a gift?
Answer
A clock. A clock: 'giving a clock' sounds like the phrase for attending someone's funeral.
Which colour is for weddings, New Year and red envelopes?
Answer
Red. Red, the colour of luck and celebration. White is worn at funerals.
Which animal's year began on 6 February 2027?
Answer
The Goat. The Goat (also called the Sheep or Ram). 2026 is the Horse; 2028 will be the Monkey.
In your own zodiac year, every twelve years, what do many people wear for luck?
Answer
Something red. Something red, often red underwear or a red string, because your own year is thought to be unlucky.
How do you show the number 6 with one hand?
Answer
Thumb and little finger out. Thumb and little finger out. One hand counts to ten: 8 is the thumb and forefinger in an L, and 10 is a fist or crossed forefingers.