For example, in European tradition the number 7 is considered lucky, while in Chinese traditions that's the number 8. In numerology you will find certain numbers being associated with better or worse outcomes, when they appear in various forms (related to birth date, name converted to numbers, license plates, phone numbers, stock tickers, etc.). Eight is a lucky number and is always good for business. For odd numbers, seven implies anger and abandon, it is both an unlucky and lucky number. Nine means longevity and eternity. It is the luckiest number. Fourteen as well as 4 are the most feared number in Chinese superstition. What numbers are considered lucky in your country? In China, 6, 8 and 9 are considered our lucky numbers.
A lucky number is a number which seems favourable to a person. The Chinese put their trust in them more than anyone else in the world. The number is chosen not only in accordance to numerology but also according to its soundwhich should rhyme with the good words of Chinese vocabulary. The Lucky Number is calculated from the date of birth and the name of the individual. Thus this number is permanent for each person for the rest of his life unless his name is changed. Onthe lucky numbers are based much of the Chinese customs and mannerisms.
As such, the lucky number is not expected to bring good fortune or luck always but having it brings satisfaction to the person; the belief is that it will always put him at an edge over the others whenever his lucky number appears or is used byhim as in money bills, phone numbers or bills, house/apartment numbers or vehicle number plates.
Any even number is a lucky number like 2, 6 and 8; odd numbers are considered unlucky like 3, 5 and 7. In this, again, there is a 'subdivision' because the 'luckiness' or 'unluckiness' of the numeral depends on it pronunciation or the Chinesebelief in the number. Number 4 is, therefore, unlucky because its pronunciation rhymes with the Chinese word 'si' meaning 'death', and so is categorized as unlucky even though it is an even number. Similarly, number 9 is considered a lucky numberbecause it means long life and eternity.
Calculate Lucky number - Use this numerology calculator to find your lucky number
Chinese have a saying, 'good things always c0me in pairs'; this is because this number, pronounced as 'er' denotes 'germination and harmony'. At birthdays and wedding celebrations, gifts are generally given in even numbers particularly in pairs.For such celebrations, the decorations also are seen in pairs like pairs of red candles, double pillows and couplets on the sides of the walls. In business, brand names of products may have double symbols for the same reason.
Though an odd number is considered lucky because its pronunciation is similar to the Chinese word for birth.
This number is pronounced as 'liu' and means 'do everything easily and smoothly'. It represents blessings and happiness so is considered auspicious more so by businessmen. Number 6 stands for 'yin' in I-Ching.
Pronounced like 'ba' in Chinese, number 8 has a similar sound to that of 'fa' and would mean to convey prosperity, wealth and fortune. Therefore, number 8 is considered the luckiest number by businessmen. It is such an auspicious number for theChinese that arranging this number as 88 or 8888 or even in larger arrays signifies greater joy and makes them feel enormously lucky e.g. a telephone number may be 9088888888, a multi-storeyed building may have 88 floors, flight numbers may haverepeated eight number figure e.g. Flight AC 88.
This number means long lasting' and 'eternity' and so is used as a lucky number to represent long life. For this reason, it is much used in wedding ceremonies and celebrations.
Though an odd number, its pronunciation is similar to the Chinese word meaning 'definitely living' and so is considered lucky.
Based on these beliefs, it is common, particularly among Chinese lovers, to send roses in the following numbers: one rose means 'you are the only one I love', two roses represent 'only we two in the world', three roses say' I love you' and nineroses convey 'everlasting love'.
Lucky numbers are also related to the Feng shui for the outlay of houses and furniture.
Although nowadays beliefs in lucky and unlucky numbers are often regarded as superstitious, millions of Chinese people, from various social and ethnic groups, still hold such beliefs. A number is an important tool in accessing Chinese culture. Knowing the implicit meanings behind numbers will not only help you explain some unique situations in Chinese society but will also lead you to the wellspring of ancient Chinese wisdom.
Numbers in China range between auspicious and ominous mainly depending on the similarity between its pronunciation and that of another word that carries a positive or negative connotation.
For example, the most commonly used Chinese New Year lucky numbers are 6 and 8, because 6 is similar to “溜 liu” in Chinese, meaning “smooth”, so 66 means “everything goes well”; 8 is lucky as well because its pronunciation is similar to that of the word “发 fa” in “发财”, which means to make a fortune.
Number | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese | 一 | 三 | 五 | 七 | 九 |
Pronunciation | èr | sì | liù | bā | |
Lucky or Not | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Unlucky | Lucky |
2, pronounced “er”, is considered lucky because “all good things come in pairs”. The theory of Chinese Feng Shui posits that the TWO features yin and yang are complementary forces of all things in the world. Among young people in China, number two has become a popular adjective to describe frank, innocent, reckless personality. They believe “er” reflects a positive attitude towards life.
6 is pronounced “liu” in Mandarin Chinese, and this sounds like the Mandarin Chinese word meaning “flowing, smooth, or frictionless”. Therefore, the number 6 has the meaning of “everything will go smoothly” and is considered lucky especially where it occurs in multiples. In feng shui, the number 6 represents authority and power.
8 is considered the luckiest lucky in Chinese culture, because as mentioned above, in Mandarin Chinese, the pronunciation of “eight” is close to that of the phrase meaning “to make a fortune”. The number 8 is also uniquely symmetric, and when laid on its side, resembles the Greek symbol for infinity.
9 is considered especially propitious. This is partly due to the fact that the pronunciation of “nine” is close to that of the word “long-lasting” in Chinese. So the couples would be glad to get wedding gifts containing the number 9, like a bouquet of 99 roses, which has an auspicious meaning of “have a long-lasting happy life together”.
In feng shui, 9 is highest on the number scale and represents the “ultimate masculinity”. It used to symbolize the supreme sovereignty of the emperor. So 9 or some multiple of 9 were often used in imperial house designs, like the 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City.
Chinese people love to use lucky number combinations to express their wishes or emotions.
Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao (生肖) in China, consists of the 12 animal signs designated to the 12 earthly branches in China. The zodiac animals in order are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, calculated according to Chinese Lunar New Year based on a twelve-year cycle. Each of the animal signs has its own lucky numbers.
Zodiac | Years | Lucky Numbers |
Rat | …1984, 1996, 2008, 2020… | 2, 3 |
Ox | …1973, 1985, 1997, 2009… | 1, 9 |
Tiger | …1974, 1986, 1998, 2010… | 1, 2, 3 |
Rabbit | …1975, 1987, 1999, 2011… | 3, 7 |
Dragon | …1976, 1988, 2000, 2012… | 1, 6, 7 |
Snake | …1977, 1989, 2001, 2013… | 1, 6 |
Horse | …1978, 1990, 2002, 2014… | 2, 3, 7 |
Goat | …1979, 1991, 2003, 2015… | 3, 4, 9 |
Monkey | …1980, 1992, 2004, 2016… | 4, 6 |
Rooster | …1981, 1993, 2005, 2017… | 5, 7, 8 |
Dog | …1982, 1994, 2006, 2018… | 3, 4, 9 |
Pig | …1983, 1995, 2007, 2019.… | 2, 5, 8 |
4 in China (and in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam) is considered terribly unlucky because it sounds like the word for “death”. It is really a bad idea to assign the number 4 to anything. Generally, door numbers and car registration numbers do not contain any 4s, especially not in the last digit-place.
Although the number 4 is replete with ominous overtones, it still crops up in various contexts in China. For example:
7 is a yang number and its pronunciation in Chinese is close to the pronunciation of the word meaning gone (去qu). 7 also relates to ceremonies that release dead souls from purgatory. In some parts of China, the 14th or 15th of the 7th month in the Chinese lunar calendar is the Ghost Festival, the date for holding sacrificial ceremonies.
1- is a yang number associated with wood and with the east. It is often associated with the meanings united, beginning, independent, complete, and infinite.
3- is a yang number associated with water and with the north. In feng shui, 3 has a natural resonance in terms of beginning, middle, and end; introduction, development, and conclusion. You can see this number widely used in Chinese culture: the Three Gorges, the Three Kingdoms in Chinese history, and the three halls of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
5- has been used to classify many things in Chinese, such as the five elements in astrology, the senses, and the basic colors. It is a neutral number. In feng shui, the 5th level of life sometimes means the best.
The number 9 used to symbolize the supreme sovereignty of the emperor. So 9 or some multiple of 9 can be easily found in Beijing’s imperial architectural designs.
According to legend, the Forbidden City in Beijing has 9,999 rooms (in reality, it has only 8,704, according to a study in 1973). The number 9,999 is understandable in the light of the tradition that only the gods had the right to build a palace with 10,000 rooms. Human beings tried to get as near as possible to their ideal of perfection.
You can find the number 9 everywhere in the construction of the Temple of Heaven: in the number of steps, balustrades, circles of paving stones, nails on doors and especially in the design of the Circular Mound Altar 圜丘坛 (Yuánqiū Tán), where a single round marble plate is surrounded by a ring of nine plates, and then a ring of 18 plates.
Chinese dragons are often associated with the number 9. For example, a Chinese dragon is generally described in terms of nine attributes and usually has 117 scales – 81 (9x9) males plus 36 (9x4) females. There are nine forms of the dragon and the dragon has nine children. There is a famous Nine-Dragon Screen in the Forbidden City.
Numerical sensitivity led to the design of an elegant bridge in the Summer Palace. The bridge has 17 arches, the sum of 9 and 8, characterized by a gradual reduction in the size of the arches. A Chinese architect would never suggest a four-arch bridge. You can find many numerically neat bridges in southern cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Guilin.
Feel free to contact us if you want to visit Beijing to really experience the interesting numerology in China’s imperial architecture.
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