Monday, November 5, 2007

Numbers in Chinese Culture


People play with numbers. People like to be remembered according to their birthdate, anniversary, historical events etc. Some people believe that numbers play a lot to determine ones fortune. Some people would rather select auspicious dates for special occasions and home address.

In chinese culture, each number gives its distinctive significant. Basically, the interpretation of each number in decimal values is as follow:
One - (1): represents unity. And it is one of favourable numbers.
Two - (2): represents "good things come in pair" as the Mandarin speaks. And according to the Cantonese "2" means "easy".
Three - (3): represents "live" and all related to living things.
Four - (4): represents the "death" and always related to unlucky things.
Five - (5): represents "me" or "nothing".
Six - (6): represents the salary or the income.
Seven - (7): represents "together".
Eight - (8): represents the prosperity, wealthiness, and fortune.
Nine - (9): represents the "longevity" or lost-lasting.
Zero - (0): means complete or as a whole.

As an overall, the chinese classify the lucky numbers are 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 9.
while the unlucky numbers include 4, 5, and 7 (some).

However, if the numbers are of combinations; the unlucky numbers can be interpreted to prosper or to give luck too such as follow:


168 - "road of prosperity or to be prosperous together"
518 - I will prosper, or
5189 - I will prosper for a long time, or
516289 - I will get on a long, smooth prosperous road or
5918 - I will soon prosper.

520 - I love you (我愛你), as the pronunciation of "520" is close to "我愛你" (in Mandarin).

666 - In Chinese culture, 666 sounds a lot like the words 'Things going smoothly'.

888 - three times prosperity.

1314 - Forever and for eternity (一生一世),as the pronunciation of "1314" is close to "一生一世" (in Mandarin) or can also be interpreted as 'our unity in our life and our death' or 'we are united both in living world and until we die'.
So thus the number,

5201314 - I Love You Forever and for eternity.



7 comments:

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