Number 4 (四 sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ to die). When gifting red envelopes, make sure to only include an auspicious amount of money to avoid offending your Chinese friends. In general, most people usually choose to gift money in amounts like 88, 99 or 200. Thanks to this symbolism, Chinese lovebirds often incorporate this number into romantic gestures (e.g., getting married on September 9th, offering 99 roses during an engagement, etc.).įun fact: There are 81 nails on the gates of the Forbidden City, created by a 9x9 row.Ĭhinese people often use the numbers 2, 8 and 9 when offering red envelopes (红包 hóngbāo) as gifts. Therefore, it represents longevity and eternality. The number 9 (九 jiǔ) sounds like 久 (jiǔ) which means a long duration of time. The auspicious number 8 (八 bā) sounds like 发 (fā) which is the verb for 发财 (fācái to get rich). The same concept applies during Chinese New Year, when people decorate their houses by hanging couplets on both sides of their doors.

This helps explain why it's common to see 双喜 (shuāngxǐ “double happiness”) on wedding couplets. The Number 2Īccording to Chinese numerology, pairs are auspicious. For example, many Chinese people consider the numbers 2, 8 and 9 to be very auspicious, while believing 4, 5 and (sometimes) 7 to be inauspicious. In traditional Chinese culture, most numbers have some sort of special meaning. In Chinese numerology, certain numbers are considered to be auspicious (吉利 jílì) or inauspicious (不吉 bùjí), mainly due to their pronunciation. Simplified-to-Traditional Number ConversionsĬhinese Numerology: The Meaning Behind the NumbersĬhinese homophones have a profound influence on Chinese culture.Chinese Numerology: The Meaning Behind the Numbers.

Numerology number meanings 555