250 was 半封 (bànfēng half an envelope), which sounds like 半疯 (bànfēng half-insane) in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Half of this (250 coins) was used as an insult.Īnother theory is that money was commonly grouped in envelopes of 500s (一封 yifēng one envelope). 半吊子 (bàndiàozi half of a “diaozi” or 500 coins) was used as a phrase to demonstrates one’s humility in regards to knowledge. One is that it is derived from the old coin system used in ancient China where 1,000 coins were grouped by a string called a 吊子 (diàozi). 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ 250)Ģ50 basically means “stupid” or “half-insane.” There are a few different theories about the origin of this phrase. Here are some of the most common examples: 1. This is called 数字表示汉字 (shùzì biǎoshì hànzì “numbers replacing characters”). Watch the following video to learn the gestures:ĭue to the huge number of homophones in Chinese, many different Chinese internet slang expressions have been created using just numbers. The Chinese word for 7 also sounds like 欺 (qī to deceive).ĭid you know that you can count to 10 in Chinese just using one hand?! Understanding the unique hand gestures used to represent Chinese numbers is essential when bargaining with vendors during visits to shops or vegetable markets. However, the ghost festival (鬼节 Guǐjié) is celebrated on the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Seven is thus usually considered a lucky number for relationships. On one hand, the sound of the Chinese word for 7 (七 qī) corresponds with that of positive words like 齊 (qí uniform, even), 气 (qì life force, energy) and 起 (qǐ to stand up). Therefore, it is generally considered an unlucky number.Ĭompared with clear-cut positive numbers like 8 or negative numbers like 4, the number 7 errs on the more neutral side of things. The number 4 is the most unlucky number in the realm of Chinese numerology, akin to the number 13 in Western countries.ĥ (五 wǔ) sounds like 呜 (wū), which is onomatopoeia for whimpering and crying. Whenever, possible, many people will also try hard to avoid choosing telephone numbers that contain the number 4. The number 4 is also unlikely to appear on house/door numbers and car license plates. Because of its negative association with death, most people consider this number to be so unlucky that many buildings in China do not even have a “fourth” floor. Number 4 (四 sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ to die). When gifting red envelopes, make sure to only include an auspicious amount of money to avoid offending your Chinese friends. In general, most people usually choose to gift money in amounts like 88, 99 or 200. Thanks to this symbolism, Chinese lovebirds often incorporate this number into romantic gestures (e.g., getting married on September 9th, offering 99 roses during an engagement, etc.).įun fact: There are 81 nails on the gates of the Forbidden City, created by a 9x9 row.Ĭhinese people often use the numbers 2, 8 and 9 when offering red envelopes (红包 hóngbāo) as gifts. Therefore, it represents longevity and eternality. The number 9 (九 jiǔ) sounds like 久 (jiǔ) which means a long duration of time. The auspicious number 8 (八 bā) sounds like 发 (fā) which is the verb for 发财 (fācái to get rich). The same concept applies during Chinese New Year, when people decorate their houses by hanging couplets on both sides of their doors. This helps explain why it's common to see 双喜 (shuāngxǐ “double happiness”) on wedding couplets. The Number 2Īccording to Chinese numerology, pairs are auspicious. For example, many Chinese people consider the numbers 2, 8 and 9 to be very auspicious, while believing 4, 5 and (sometimes) 7 to be inauspicious. In traditional Chinese culture, most numbers have some sort of special meaning. In Chinese numerology, certain numbers are considered to be auspicious (吉利 jílì) or inauspicious (不吉 bùjí), mainly due to their pronunciation.
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