Professor Kain
"Some Chinese assign a different set of meanings to the numbers and certain number combinations are considered luckier than others. In general, even numbers are considered lucky, since it is believed that good luck comes in pairs.
[edit] Chinese number definitions
Cantonese frequently assign the following definitions, which may differ in other Chinese languages:
1. 一 [jɐ́t] — sure
2. 二 [ji̭ː] — easy 易 [ji̭ː]
3. 三 [sáːm] — live 生 [sáːŋ]
4. 四 [sēi] — considered unlucky since 4 is a homophone with the word for death or suffering 死 [sěi], yet in the Shanghainese, it is a homophone of water (水)and is considered lucky since water is associated with money.
5. 五 [ŋ̬] — the self, me, myself 吾 [ŋ̭], nothing, never 唔 [ŋ, m]
6. 六 [lùːk] — easy and smooth, all the way
7. 七 [tsʰɐ́t] — a slang/vulgar word in Cantonese.
8. 八 [pāːt] — sudden fortune, prosperity 發 [fāːt]
9. 九 [kɐ̌u] — long in time 久 [kɐ̌u], enough 夠 [kɐ̄u] or a slang/vulgar word derived from dog 狗 [kɐ̌u] in Cantonese
Some lucky number combinations include:
* 99 — doubly long in time, hence eternal; used in the name of a popular Chinese-American supermarket chain, 99 Ranch Market.
* 168 — road of prosperity or to be prosperous together literal translation is "continuing to be wealthy"— many premium-pay telephone numbers in China begin with this number. It is also the name of a motel chain in China (Motel 16 cool .
* 518 — I will prosper, other variations include: 5189 (I will prosper for a long time), 516289 (I will get on a long, smooth prosperous road) and 5918 (I will soon prosper)
* 814 — Similar to 168, this means "be wealthy, entire life". 148 also implies the same meaning "entire life be wealthy".
* 888 — Three times the prosperity, means "wealthy wealthy wealthy". (E.g., the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were designated by the Chinese officials to begin on the most auspicious date possible to ensure the success of the Games for its hosts: August 8, 2008—on the 8th day, of the 8th month in the 8th year of the new millennium.)
* 1314 — whole lifetime, existence.
* 289 — This combination is quite straight forward: ease in finding enough luck/fortune and holding it for a long time. (2 is easy, 8 is fortune, 9 is enough and/or for a long time)
"
"Some Chinese assign a different set of meanings to the numbers and certain number combinations are considered luckier than others. In general, even numbers are considered lucky, since it is believed that good luck comes in pairs.
[edit] Chinese number definitions
Cantonese frequently assign the following definitions, which may differ in other Chinese languages:
1. 一 [jɐ́t] — sure
2. 二 [ji̭ː] — easy 易 [ji̭ː]
3. 三 [sáːm] — live 生 [sáːŋ]
4. 四 [sēi] — considered unlucky since 4 is a homophone with the word for death or suffering 死 [sěi], yet in the Shanghainese, it is a homophone of water (水)and is considered lucky since water is associated with money.
5. 五 [ŋ̬] — the self, me, myself 吾 [ŋ̭], nothing, never 唔 [ŋ, m]
6. 六 [lùːk] — easy and smooth, all the way
7. 七 [tsʰɐ́t] — a slang/vulgar word in Cantonese.
8. 八 [pāːt] — sudden fortune, prosperity 發 [fāːt]
9. 九 [kɐ̌u] — long in time 久 [kɐ̌u], enough 夠 [kɐ̄u] or a slang/vulgar word derived from dog 狗 [kɐ̌u] in Cantonese
Some lucky number combinations include:
* 99 — doubly long in time, hence eternal; used in the name of a popular Chinese-American supermarket chain, 99 Ranch Market.
* 168 — road of prosperity or to be prosperous together literal translation is "continuing to be wealthy"— many premium-pay telephone numbers in China begin with this number. It is also the name of a motel chain in China (Motel 16 cool .
* 518 — I will prosper, other variations include: 5189 (I will prosper for a long time), 516289 (I will get on a long, smooth prosperous road) and 5918 (I will soon prosper)
* 814 — Similar to 168, this means "be wealthy, entire life". 148 also implies the same meaning "entire life be wealthy".
* 888 — Three times the prosperity, means "wealthy wealthy wealthy". (E.g., the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were designated by the Chinese officials to begin on the most auspicious date possible to ensure the success of the Games for its hosts: August 8, 2008—on the 8th day, of the 8th month in the 8th year of the new millennium.)
* 1314 — whole lifetime, existence.
* 289 — This combination is quite straight forward: ease in finding enough luck/fortune and holding it for a long time. (2 is easy, 8 is fortune, 9 is enough and/or for a long time)
"
