Dan R Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 4 is the same in Japanese. In Japan sets of glasses, dishes etc are never in 4 but rather 5. You never give someone 4 of anything. Is this the same in China? 9 in Japan is like 13 in the US as the word sounds the same as disaster. I do things with 8s anytime I can just to make her feel good. Link to comment
tonado Posted November 24, 2005 Report Share Posted November 24, 2005 So double dating (two couples) is bad then. Link to comment
mercator Posted November 24, 2005 Report Share Posted November 24, 2005 4 is the same in Japanese. In Japan sets of glasses, dishes etc are never in 4 but rather 5. You never give someone 4 of anything. Is this the same in China? 9 in Japan is like 13 in the US as the word sounds the same as disaster. I do things with 8s anytime I can just to make her feel good.171269[/snapback]yes. 4 is bad. Giving 4 is bad. Giving clocks is bad also, so never give 4 clocks. About the only thing worse off the top of my head is giving someone "hell money." All basically imply wishing death on the person. bu hao. Link to comment
philb Posted November 25, 2005 Report Share Posted November 25, 2005 2nd good point...don't buy her a clock or maybe even a watch. Bu hao, read threads on etiquette, Phil Link to comment
BillV 8-16-2004 Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 The characteristics of the Chinese language make for some very interesting cultural attitudes and superstitions. Because one word can mean so many things depending on its tone as well as context in which it is used, homonyms take on extra significance. The number four is especially inauspicious as the word for "four" sounds the same as the word for death, although they have different tones. Thus, it is considered impolite to give gifts in any multible of four. The word for "pear" has the same meaning "to leave" don't bring pears to anyone in the hospital who may not want to think about "leaving" this world. Instead bring apples. Apples contains the same sound as pingan (peace & prosperity). If you are invited to a Chinese person's house for dinner, it is always nice to bring some kind of round fruit, apples, lychees, kiwis, etc. Round food brings good luck, you will see a variety of round moon cakes and dumplings during important festivals like Chinese new year and weddings. Link to comment
david_dawei Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 Also don't like to sell or buy items that list for $250... Link to comment
Joanne Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 As David said, "4" sounds like "death" in Chinese. My wife has told me this before.If I can remember correctly, she says that any number(s) ending in "4" is a bad omen. Any number(s) with "4" in the middle somewhere isn't so bad.171036[/snapback]54 and 94 are not bad numbers. 54 sounds like "not dead"94 sounds like "long time before dead" 58 is a bad number - not able to get rich.171039[/snapback]I always thought 58 means "Wo Fa -> I prosper". I thought my birth date is good because it is May 8. I thought I will eventually prosper. Now you shut off my hope. Link to comment
david_dawei Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 As David said, "4" sounds like "death" in Chinese. My wife has told me this before.If I can remember correctly, she says that any number(s) ending in "4" is a bad omen. Any number(s) with "4" in the middle somewhere isn't so bad.171036[/snapback]54 and 94 are not bad numbers. 54 sounds like "not dead"94 sounds like "long time before dead" 58 is a bad number - not able to get rich.171039[/snapback]I always thought 58 means "Wo Fa -> I prosper". I thought my birth date is good because it is May 8. I thought I will eventually prosper. Now you shut off my hope. 174603[/snapback]My [chinese] SO agrees with you... 58 is "i get money"... Maybe you response should be, "748" (please, only joking)... Link to comment
Joanne Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 As David said, "4" sounds like "death" in Chinese. My wife has told me this before.If I can remember correctly, she says that any number(s) ending in "4" is a bad omen. Any number(s) with "4" in the middle somewhere isn't so bad.171036[/snapback]54 and 94 are not bad numbers. 54 sounds like "not dead"94 sounds like "long time before dead" 58 is a bad number - not able to get rich.171039[/snapback]I always thought 58 means "Wo Fa -> I prosper". I thought my birth date is good because it is May 8. I thought I will eventually prosper. Now you shut off my hope. 174603[/snapback]My [chinese] SO agrees with you... 58 is "i get money"... Maybe you response should be, "748" (please, only joking)...174605[/snapback]Who 748? Link to comment
david_dawei Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 As David said, "4" sounds like "death" in Chinese. My wife has told me this before.If I can remember correctly, she says that any number(s) ending in "4" is a bad omen. Any number(s) with "4" in the middle somewhere isn't so bad.171036[/snapback]54 and 94 are not bad numbers. 54 sounds like "not dead"94 sounds like "long time before dead" 58 is a bad number - not able to get rich.171039[/snapback]I always thought 58 means "Wo Fa -> I prosper". I thought my birth date is good because it is May 8. I thought I will eventually prosper. Now you shut off my hope. 174603[/snapback]My [chinese] SO agrees with you... 58 is "i get money"... Maybe you response should be, "748" (please, only joking)...174605[/snapback]Who 748? 174609[/snapback]to anyone who suggest your birthday is anything but favorable and prosperous !! Link to comment
david_dawei Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 Speaking of chinese numerology... Just found this out yesterday in our trip to Boston (amazing how once she learns english, all she wants to do is talk ) When she was about 25, she changed her first name to her current name: Zi Xuan she went to a lady who reads such things (numbers, names, dates). After reviewing hordes of names and numbers and the meaning of the name, etc... she selected this one. Add up all the numbers of the name and the final composite must be favorable... Link to comment
frank1538 Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 174 - yi qi si. yi qi shi - toegther die. Not a good number to have on your license plate. Link to comment
jbray Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 My wife also says that 7 is bad. She hates it... She loves 6 and 9... So, 7 is the biblical number of perfection (or at least that's what some people think), and 666 is evil... To her it's the other way around. When I went to Vietnam last summer I saw a concert by a pop-trio called "Trio 666". When I saw that on the bilboard, I thought it would be a death metal band, not a pop-trio. Link to comment
tonado Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 58 is definitely bad in Cantonese. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now