Chinese numerology: number meanings and pronunciation
In China, a number is judged mostly by what its pronunciation evokes: 8 recalls prosperity, 4 a word of bad omen.
By Thomas Guilhot · updated
Chinese numerology: where it comes from, what it calculates
Chinese numerology does not rest on a table that converts letters into digits. Chinese is written with characters, not an alphabet: no letter is therefore added up. It is the numbers themselves that carry meaning, through two mainsprings: pronunciation and symbolism.
The first mainspring is homophony. In Mandarin as in Cantonese, several numbers resemble words loaded with meaning. The 8, bā, sounds close to fā, which evokes prosperity; the 6, liù, recalls what goes smoothly; the 9, jiǔ, resonates with duration. The 4, sì, is close to a word associated with misfortune, which explains why some buildings have no fourth floor. The number 520, pronounced wǔ èr líng, resembles “I love you” in online slang, and 168 is often read as “the road to prosperity.”
The second mainspring is the symbolism inherited from ancient texts: the I Ching, or Book of Changes, and the Lo Shu square, whose nine cells give 15 in every row, column, or diagonal. These patterns feed the calendar, feng shui, and various forms of divination, each with its own rules.
How it is calculated
The calculation is less about addition than about choosing. For a phone number, a license plate, or a wedding date, you read each digit for what it evokes to the ear and try to bring together the favorable sounds: 888 for repeated prosperity, 168 for the road to prosperity. The Lo Shu square, for its part, is easy to check: on the top row, 4 + 9 + 2 = 15, as on the middle row, 3 + 5 + 7 = 15. Each number thus keeps its place in a balanced grid.
How it differs from this site’s method
It handles neither letters nor reduction to a single digit: it relies on the spoken language and on calendar traditions. It cannot therefore be carried over to a French first name, and this site does not mix it into its method. It belongs to language, the calendar, and custom more than to a calculation on a name: you do not look for the Expression number, you look for the sounds that bring luck.
Good to know before relying on it
The associations depend on language and region: the same number does not sound the same in Mandarin and in Cantonese. Like any popular practice, it belongs to custom, not to proof. A number considered auspicious in Hong Kong may leave people indifferent elsewhere, and these beliefs cannot be measured: they are passed on, respected, or set aside.
Frequently asked questions: Chinese numerology
Why is 8 a lucky number in China?
Because its pronunciation, bā, resembles that of a word evoking prosperity. This closeness of sounds, and not a calculation, is enough to give it a favorable value. It explains the appeal of numbers containing several 8s. The meaning comes from the ear.
Why is 4 avoided in China?
Its pronunciation, sì, comes close to a word associated with the end of life. Out of caution or habit, people sometimes avoid this digit in numbers, floors, or addresses. This practice remains a custom, varying by person and region.
Is there a life path calculation in Chinese numerology?
Not in the Western sense of the term. Chinese tradition has its own tools, tied to the calendar, the five elements, and the I Ching, but it does not reduce a birth date to a single digit. A calculation of that kind belongs to another school.
What is the Lo Shu magic square?
It is a three-by-three grid containing the numbers 1 to 9, arranged so that each row, column, and diagonal totals 15. Chinese tradition ties it to a legendary image and uses it in feng shui.
Which numbers are considered favorable in China?
According to custom, 8 comes first, for its sound closeness to prosperity, followed by 6, associated with what moves along smoothly, and 9, which evokes duration. The 4, on the contrary, is often avoided. These preferences stem from the spoken language, vary from one region to another, and belong to custom: they announce nothing about what lies ahead.