The number 6 in Chinese culture
February 21, 2012 9:49 AM Subscribe
Is the number 6 lucky in Chinese culture?
I am confused.
I read Numbers in Chinese culture and it is not conclusive. It can be both.
So when is the number lucky and when is it unlucky?
Response by poster: What is confusing there is that according to the wikipedia article, in Cantonese there are two different words that sound alike.
posted by rsol44 at 9:59 AM on February 21, 2012
posted by rsol44 at 9:59 AM on February 21, 2012
They don't sound quite alike. The 6 next to the word for 'fall' indicates a different pitch. Chinese is tonal, so the exact same sound pitched higher or lower can mean a completely different word.
posted by empath at 10:10 AM on February 21, 2012
posted by empath at 10:10 AM on February 21, 2012
In Cantonese, the sound for the "good luck" situation is exactly the same as 6, whereas in the "bad luck" case it's only similar. I've always known 6 to be a lucky number.
The bad luck case is probably only for specific situations/jobs/industries, where "going down" or "falling" is pretty much the definition of a bad outcome.
posted by bread-eater at 10:13 AM on February 21, 2012
The bad luck case is probably only for specific situations/jobs/industries, where "going down" or "falling" is pretty much the definition of a bad outcome.
posted by bread-eater at 10:13 AM on February 21, 2012
My family speaks Cantonese, and I've grown up hearing from my relatives that 6 is a lucky number because the number 6 and the word for luck sound so similar. Likewise, the number 8 is also lucky because it sounds like the word for becoming wealthy. Meanwhile, 4 is considered to be an unlucky number, because it sounds like the word for death.
posted by keep it under cover at 11:17 AM on February 21, 2012
posted by keep it under cover at 11:17 AM on February 21, 2012
Sorry, shouldn't have posted so soon... I meant to say that like bread-eater, I've always known 6 to be a lucky number as well. I've never heard it said by any Cantonese speaking person I know that 6 is an unlucky number.
Although, at least in the dialect of Cantonese that my family speaks (Hong Kong), the words for "luck" and "down" sound exactly the same. So perhaps in our dialect, 6 is never unlucky whereas other dialects may differentiate more.
posted by keep it under cover at 11:26 AM on February 21, 2012
Although, at least in the dialect of Cantonese that my family speaks (Hong Kong), the words for "luck" and "down" sound exactly the same. So perhaps in our dialect, 6 is never unlucky whereas other dialects may differentiate more.
posted by keep it under cover at 11:26 AM on February 21, 2012
What is confusing there is that according to the wikipedia article, in Cantonese there are two different words that sound alike.
In Cantonese (and Mandarin) there are many different words that not only sound alike, but sound exactly the same, including tone.
posted by kmz at 11:48 AM on February 21, 2012
In Cantonese (and Mandarin) there are many different words that not only sound alike, but sound exactly the same, including tone.
posted by kmz at 11:48 AM on February 21, 2012
8 is the lucky number. 4 is unlucky- in Cantonese at least. That's why so many Vietnamese places up here (Calgary, which has more Vietnamese restos per capita than any city in North America), many of which are run by ethnic-Chinese Vietnamese who are moreover Cantonese-speaking, have "8" in their names. Banh Mi 888 for example.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 2:47 PM on February 21, 2012
posted by ethnomethodologist at 2:47 PM on February 21, 2012
Best answer: There are a lot of homophonous syllables in Chinese, whether it's Mandarin or Cantonese, and I suppose the only way to tell whether or not a number is lucky is to know a little of the language and culture. I grew up in a predominantly Chinese and Cantonese-speaking town in South East Asia, where many people my parents' generation and older are care a great deal about numbers. My partner, on the other hand, comes from a Mandarin-speaking Shanghainese family, and they seem less fussy about these things. In my experience, diaspora Chinese and the Cantonese-speaking communities seem to be a little more superstitious.
6 in Cantonese can sound like "luck" or "road", so it isn't as unambiguously auspicious like 8, which sounds like the Cantonese word for "to prosper" or 3, which can mean "birth", "growth", or "promotion". 4, as pointed out by others, is definitely inauspicious because it sounds almost exactly like "death". But I believe "luck" lies in the combination of numbers, which is also indicated in the Wikipedia article you linked to. 64 is awful because it could mean "road to death", 66 could be interpreted as "double luck" or "lucky road", 67 sounds like a vulgar Cantonese cuss word, while 68 is good because it suggests "the road to prosperity". But 58 is terrible--5 sounds like "no" or "never", so 58 means "never prosper". As a topical example, Jeremy Lin's Knicks Jersey number--17--isn't too shabby. 17 in Mandarin or Cantonese sort of sounds like "rise together", so altogether an auspicious number for Lin and his team.
This is really just a rule of thumb, especially if you speak Cantonese or are dealing with Cantonese speakers. The surest way to determine if numbers are lucky, especially if you run a business or live at an address like 4658 Hell Road, would be to consult a professional geomancer. Superficially, you could counter an unlucky combination with a better one, like my dad's colleague, who purchased a car model with the model number 164, or "one way street to death". He neutralized it by paying a little extra to obtain a license plate with the numbers 5454, which literally means 不死不死, or "no death, no death".
posted by peripathetic at 3:01 PM on February 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
6 in Cantonese can sound like "luck" or "road", so it isn't as unambiguously auspicious like 8, which sounds like the Cantonese word for "to prosper" or 3, which can mean "birth", "growth", or "promotion". 4, as pointed out by others, is definitely inauspicious because it sounds almost exactly like "death". But I believe "luck" lies in the combination of numbers, which is also indicated in the Wikipedia article you linked to. 64 is awful because it could mean "road to death", 66 could be interpreted as "double luck" or "lucky road", 67 sounds like a vulgar Cantonese cuss word, while 68 is good because it suggests "the road to prosperity". But 58 is terrible--5 sounds like "no" or "never", so 58 means "never prosper". As a topical example, Jeremy Lin's Knicks Jersey number--17--isn't too shabby. 17 in Mandarin or Cantonese sort of sounds like "rise together", so altogether an auspicious number for Lin and his team.
This is really just a rule of thumb, especially if you speak Cantonese or are dealing with Cantonese speakers. The surest way to determine if numbers are lucky, especially if you run a business or live at an address like 4658 Hell Road, would be to consult a professional geomancer. Superficially, you could counter an unlucky combination with a better one, like my dad's colleague, who purchased a car model with the model number 164, or "one way street to death". He neutralized it by paying a little extra to obtain a license plate with the numbers 5454, which literally means 不死不死, or "no death, no death".
posted by peripathetic at 3:01 PM on February 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Six is lucky (in Mandarin at least) because of the saying "六六大顺" (liù liù dà shùn), which means roughly "good going on the double sixes". There's no clear consensus on the origin of this phrase, though there are many theories:
1) The 6th of June in the Chinese calendar is a day of many celebrations and festivals both for the Han people and ethnic minorities. Possibly something to do with the wheat harvesting season nearing an end.
2) According to the I Ching school of divination, double sixes are are a good omen.
3) "Six" (六 liù) sounds the same as "smooth" (溜 liù).
There are others, but these are the most probable.
posted by fix at 5:39 PM on February 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
1) The 6th of June in the Chinese calendar is a day of many celebrations and festivals both for the Han people and ethnic minorities. Possibly something to do with the wheat harvesting season nearing an end.
2) According to the I Ching school of divination, double sixes are are a good omen.
3) "Six" (六 liù) sounds the same as "smooth" (溜 liù).
There are others, but these are the most probable.
posted by fix at 5:39 PM on February 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by empath at 9:51 AM on February 21, 2012