HSK 5 · Article · 526 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-is-four-unlucky-in-china

中国人为什么怕数字四?

Why is 4 unlucky in China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó坐zuò电梯diàntī,你nǐ可能kěnéng会huì发现fāxiàn一yí件jiàn怪事guàishì:按钮ànniǔ上shàng有yǒu一yī、二èr、三sān,接着jiēzhe就是jiùshì五wǔ,偏偏piānpiān没有méiyǒu四sì。有的yǒude楼lóu连lián十四shísì层céng、二十四èrshísì层céng也yě一起yìqǐ不见bújiàn了le。四sì楼lóu去qù哪儿nǎr了le?其实qíshí它tā一直yìzhí都dōu在zài,只是zhǐshì换huàn了le个gè名字míngzi,叫jiào“五wǔ楼lóu”。

原因yuányīn就jiù在zài发音fāyīn上shàng。“四sì”听起来tīngqǐlai很hěn像xiàng“死sǐ”,一个yígè是shì第四dìsì声shēng,一个yígè是shì第三声dìsānshēng,只zhǐ差chà一个yígè声调shēngdiào。很hěn多duō人rén可kě不想bùxiǎng每天měitiān下班xiàbān回到huídào“死sǐ楼lóu”,所以suóyǐ有些yǒuxiē楼lóu干脆gāncuì把bǎ这zhè个gè数字shùzì跳tiào了le过去guòqu。

有人yǒurén怕pà四sì,就jiù有人yǒurén爱ài八bā。“八bā”听起来tīngqǐlai像xiàng“发财fācái”的de“发fā”,而ér发财fācái就是jiùshì赚zhuàn大钱dàqián。2003年nián,成都chéngdū拍卖pāimài了le一yí个gè电话号码diànhuà-hàomǎ,一共yígòng八bā个gè数字shùzì,每měi一个yígè都dōu是shì八bā。结果jiéguǒ,四川航空花huā了le两百三十三万liángbǎisānshísānwàn元yuán,把bǎ它tā买mǎi了le下来xiàlai。车牌chēpái也yě是shì一样yíyàng。在zài广东guǎngdōng东莞dōngguǎn,像xiàng“一六八yīliùbā”这样zhèyàng的de车牌chēpái很hěn受欢迎shòuhuānyíng,因为yīnwèi听起来tīngqǐlai像xiàng“一路yílù发fā”,也yě就是jiùshì一路yílù发财fācái。

北京奥运会běijīng’àoyùnhuì更gèng有意思yǒuyìsi,开幕式kāimùshì定dìng在zài2008年nián8月yuè8日rì晚上wǎnshang8点diǎn,到处dàochù都dōu是shì八bā。据报道jùbàodào,光guāng北京běijīng就jiù有yǒu一万多yíwànduō对duì情侣qínglǚ在zài这zhè一天yìtiān结婚jiéhūn。

六liù和hé九jiǔ也yě是shì好hǎo数字shùzì。有yǒu一种yìzhǒng说法shuōfǎ是shì,“六liù”听起来tīngqǐlai像xiàng“流水liúshuǐ”的de“流liú”,事情shìqing就jiù像xiàng流水liúshuǐ一样yíyàng顺shùn。人们rénmen常cháng说shuō六六liùliù大顺dàshùn,意思yìsi是shì事事shìshì顺利shùnlì。“九jiǔ”和hé“久jiǔ”同音tóngyīn。有人yǒurén表白biǎobái时shí会huì送sòng九十九jiǔshíjiǔ朵duǒ玫瑰méiguī,就是jiùshì希望xīwàng两liǎng个gè人rén的de爱ài天长地久tiāncháng-dìjiǔ。

数字shùzì还hái会huì说话shuōhuà。“五二零wǔ’èrlíng”听起来tīngqǐlai像xiàng“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”,于是yúshì五月wǔyuè二十èrshí日rì成chéng了le“网络wǎngluò情人节qíngrénjié”。2016年nián的de这zhè一天yìtiān,微信wēixìn专门zhuānmén把bǎ红包hóngbāo上限shàngxiàn从cóng两百liángbǎi元yuán提高tígāo到dào五百二十wúbǎi-èrshí元yuán,让ràng大家dàjiā都dōu能néng把bǎ“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”发出fāchū去qù。商店shāngdiàn也yě会huì用yòng这zhè一yì招zhāo。有yǒu研究yánjiū发现fāxiàn,中文zhōngwén广告guǎnggào里以yǐ八bā结尾jiéwěi的de价格jiàgé特别tèbié多duō,比如bǐrú八十八bāshíbā元yuán,以yǐ四sì结尾jiéwěi的de却què很hěn少见shǎojiàn。

最后zuìhòu提醒tíxǐng一yí句jù:如果rúguǒ有yǒu一天yìtiān中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu在zài网上wǎngshàng发给fāgěi你nǐ一yí句jù“八八bābā”,先xiān别bié高兴gāoxìng得de太tài早zǎo。对方duìfāng不是búshì祝zhù你nǐ发财fācái,只是zhǐshì在zài说shuō:拜拜!

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
接着jiēzhenext; then; after that
原因yuányīncause; reason
死sǐto die; dead
数字shùzìnumber; digit; figure
赚zhuànto earn; to make a profit; profit
结果jiéguǒas a result; in the end; result; outcome
光guānglight; ray
说法shuōfǎversion; account; view
流liúto flow; current; stream
顺利shùnlìsmoothly; successfully; smooth; without a hitch
专门zhuānménspecially; especially; specialized; special
红包hóngbāored envelope (gift of money); digital red packet (on apps)

English (for the teacher)

Take a lift in China and you might notice something odd: the buttons go one, two, three, then straight to five, with no four. In some buildings, the 14th and 24th floors have vanished too. So where did the fourth floor go? It never left; it just goes by another name: “the fifth floor”.

The reason is all in the sound. Sì, “four”, sounds a lot like sǐ, “death”: one is fourth tone, the other third tone, and only the tone differs. Plenty of people would rather not come home from work to the “death floor” every day, so some buildings simply skip the number.

Where some people fear four, others love eight. Bā, “eight”, sounds like the fā in fācái, and fācái means making a fortune. In 2003, Chengdu auctioned a phone number: eight digits, and every one of them an eight. In the end, Sichuan Airlines paid 2.33 million yuan for it. Licence plates are no different. In Dongguan, in Guangdong, plates like 168 are popular, because it sounds like yí lù fā, in other words “getting rich all the way”.

The Beijing Olympics went further: the opening ceremony was set for 8 August 2008 at 8 in the evening, with eights everywhere. According to reports, more than ten thousand couples got married that day in Beijing alone.

Six and nine are good numbers too. One explanation goes that liù, “six”, sounds like liú, as in liúshuǐ, “flowing water”, so things go as smoothly as flowing water. People often say liù liù dà shùn, meaning “may everything go smoothly”. Jiǔ, “nine”, sounds exactly like jiǔ, “long-lasting”. Some people give 99 roses when they declare their love, hoping it will last forever.

Numbers can talk, too. 520, wǔ èr líng, sounds like wǒ ài nǐ, “I love you”, so 20 May became “Internet Valentine’s Day”. On that day in 2016, WeChat raised its red-packet limit from 200 yuan to 520, just so everyone could send an “I love you”. Shops use the trick too. One study found that prices in Chinese adverts end in eight remarkably often, like 88 yuan, and rarely in four.

One last tip: if a Chinese friend ever messages you “88”, don’t get excited too soon. They aren’t wishing you a fortune, just saying “bye-bye”!