HSK 3 · Article · 260 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-is-8-a-lucky-number-in-china

中国人为什么喜欢数字八?

Why is 8 a lucky number in China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ第一次dìyīcì在zài中国zhōngguó办bàn手机卡shǒujīkǎ的de时候shíhou,店diàn里的de人rén给gěi了le我wǒ一yì张zhāng纸zhǐ,上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe很hěn多duō手机shǒujī号hào。我wǒ发现fāxiàn,有yǒu的de号码hàomǎ比bǐ别的biéde贵guì很hěn多duō。

我wǒ问wèn:“这个zhège为什么wèishénme这么zhème贵guì?”她tā说shuō:“你nǐ看kàn,后面hòumiàn是shì888啊a!”

中国zhōngguó人rén为什么wèishénme这么zhème喜欢xǐhuān“八bā”?因为yīnwèi“八bā”听起来tīngqǐlai很hěn像xiàng“发财fācái”的de“发fā”。“发财fācái”的de意思yìsi是shì赚zhuàn很hěn多duō钱qián。

所以suóyǐ很hěn多duō人rén觉得juéde,“八bā”会huì带来dàilái好运hǎoyùn。手机shǒujī号hào、车牌chēpái号hào、楼lóu号hào,有yǒu“八bā”的de都dōu比较bǐjiào受欢迎shòuhuānyíng,有时候yǒushíhou也yě比较bǐjiào贵guì。

最zuì有名yǒumíng的de是shì一yí个gè电话号码diànhuà-hàomǎ。2003年nián,四川航空公司花huā了le二百三十三万èrbǎisānshísānwàn元yuán,买mǎi了le一yí个gè电话diànhuà号hào:8888 8888。

2008年nián北京奥运会běijīng’àoyùnhuì的de开幕式kāimùshì是shì什么shénme时候shíhou开始kāishǐ的de?8月yuè8号hào,晚上wǎnshang八点零八分bādiǎnlíngbāfēn。

在zài商店shāngdiàn里也yě一样yíyàng。别的biéde国家guójiā的de东西dōngxī常常chángcháng卖mài9.99,中国zhōngguó的de东西dōngxī常常chángcháng卖mài8.88、88或者huòzhě188。

回到huídào那nà家jiā手机店shǒujīdiàn。最后zuìhòu我wǒ没有méiyǒu买mǎi888,太tài贵guì了le。我wǒ的de手机shǒujī号hào里一个yígè“八bā”也yě没有méiyǒu。

所以suóyǐ,我wǒ到dào现在xiànzài还hái没méi发财fācái。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
上面shàngmiànabove; on top of; on the surface of
意思yìsimeaning; idea
有时候yǒushíhousometimes
花huāflower; blossom
开始kāishǐto begin; to start; beginning
张zhāngsurname Zhang
纸zhǐpaper
号码hàomǎnumber
别的biédeother; else
像xiànglike; as
发fāto send; to issue
有名yǒumíngfamous; 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.