Chinese Culture and Lucky and Unlucky Numbers

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In the Chinese culture there are lucky and unlucky numbers in their culture. In total there are seven lucky numbers and four unlucky numbers. Numbers have always played a significant role in Chinese culture. People in China traditionally combine their fortune with lucky numbers. Chinese take auspicious (conducive to success) numbers into important thought in daily life, such as in occasions when they buy properties, choose telephone numbers, select a date of a wedding ceremony, and pick an identification number for their vehicle.

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They believe lucky numbers can bring them good luck.

There are seven lucky numbers which is two, three, five, six, seven, eight, and nine. The number two is often considered a good/lucky number in Chinese culture and there is a Chinese saying, “Good things come in pairs” and it can be used as double happiness. Number three sounds like the character for birth and is considered as a lucky number. The number five is associated with the five elements Water, Fire, Earth, Wood, and Metal in the Chinese philosophy, and was historically connected with the Emperor of China as it became a lucky number, and the number six in Mandarin is pronounced the same as liu and similar to fluid and is considered good for business also the number six also represents happiness.

The number seven symbolizes togetherness; it is a lucky number for relationships and it is a lucky number in Chinese culture, because it sounds alike to the Chinese character meaning arise. The word for eight sounds the same to the word which means prosper or wealth, and the number nine it also symbolizes harmony; the number nine has the same saying/punctuation of the word for long lasting and is used often in weddings.

The unlucky numbers are four, five, six, and seven. Number four is considered an unlucky number in Chinese because it is nearly homophonous (having the same pronunciation as another or others but different meaning, origin, or spelling) to the word death. Number five can represent “me” in Mandarin and it is usually included with not. Six in Cantonese has a similar pronunciation to the word Lok6 meaning to drop, fall, or decline and can make unlucky combinations. Finally, seven is considered holy/spiritism or ghostly because the seventh month of the Chinese calendar is called Ghost Month which can make it into speculation that it can relate to death, which make it an unlucky number.

The lucky number combinations is 28 and 38 as eight means prosperity, twenty eight equals to 'double prosperity', 38 being one of the luckiest, can be referred to as 'triple prosperity'. 768 rhymes with the phrase “fortune all the way” in Cantonese and 521 or 5211314 in Mandarin is pronounced “wu er yi” which means “I love you” and 1314 sounds the same as forever so 5211314 means “I love you forever” which can be a lucky number combination especially on valentine’s day towards their relationship. An unlucky number combination is 528 and is a way of saying "no easy fortune for me”. Six means to drop, fall, or decline which can make unlucky number combinations. 748 is said as “qi si ba” and if said in certain tones it can translate to “Why don’t you go die?” which can be a unlucky number combination that means you wish for them to die which is unlucky to them. If I were to attend my friends’ wedding and give money as a gift I would give them $88 because 8 means prosper or wealth so 88 is double prosper or wealth and wealth is important to a marriage so they can start with having a good amount of wealth.

In the end, lucky and unlucky numbers can affect people in the Chinese culture. Many people choose certain numbers that grant them “luck” and some avoid unlucky numbers because it’s involved with bad luck or death. With these numbers it can be combined for example a lucky number combination can double your luck or wealth. But in the end, their cultures luck and misfortunes is based on lucky and lucky numbers/combinations.