中国人为什么喜欢数字八?
Why is 8 a lucky number in China?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | above; on top of; on the surface of |
| 意思 | yìsi | meaning; idea |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 花 | huā | flower; blossom |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to begin; to start; beginning |
| 张 | zhāng | surname Zhang |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper |
| 号码 | hàomǎ | number |
| 别的 | biéde | other; else |
| 像 | xiàng | like; as |
| 发 | fā | to send; to issue |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
English (for the teacher)
The first time I got a phone card in China, the shop assistant gave me a sheet of paper with lots of phone numbers on it. I noticed that some numbers cost much more than the others.
I asked, “Why is this one so expensive?” She said, “Look, it ends in 888!”
Why do Chinese people like 8 so much? Because 八 (bā), eight, sounds a lot like the 发 (fā) in 发财. 发财 means to make a lot of money.
So many people feel that 8 brings good luck. Phone numbers, number plates, building numbers: the ones with an 8 are more popular, and sometimes more expensive.
The most famous one is a phone number. In 2003 Sichuan Airlines paid 2.33 million yuan for one number: 8888 8888.
And when did the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics begin? On 8 August, at 8:08 in the evening.
It's the same in shops. In other countries things are often priced 9.99; in China they are often 8.88, 88 or 188.
Back to that phone shop. In the end I didn't buy the 888 number, it was too expensive. My number doesn't have a single 8 in it.
Which is why I still haven't got rich.