What Chinese numbers have secret meanings?

In the last few weeks I have been making short story videos on social media about some Chinese numbers and what they can mean in online chat or text messages. So I thought this would be a good time to talk a bit more about the special meanings behind certain Chinese numbers, and in what situations you might want to use (or avoid) them.

The Basics

Let’s start with some very “everyday” numbers that many Chinese people have feelings about.

4 – 四 (sì)

The number 4 is 四 (sì), which sounds very similar to 死 (sǐ, to die). Because of this, many people feel that 4 is an unlucky number and prefer to avoid it, especially in serious situations like hotels, housing or important phone numbers.

In some buildings you will not see a 4th floor at all. The elevator might jump from 3 to 5, or skip 14 and 24 as well. Even if there is a 4th floor, some people would not want to live there or choose that room number.

When you are giving money as a present, it is also better not to choose amounts like 4, 40, 400 or 444. For example, for a red envelope, 400 yuan does not feel nice, while 888 or 666 feels much better. If you really want to be polite, try to avoid the number 4 in the amount completely.

6 – 六 (liù)

The number 6 is 六 (liù). It sounds like 溜 (liù, smooth, to go well), so 6 is often used to wish that things will be smooth and without problems.

8 – 八 (bā)

The number 8 is 八 (bā), and it sounds similar to 发 (fā) from 发财 (fācái, to get rich, to make money). Because of this, 8 is one of the most popular “lucky numbers” in Chinese.

People love phone numbers, license plates and apartment numbers with lots of 8s.

9 – 九 (jiǔ)

The number 9 is 九 (jiǔ), which sounds like 久 (jiǔ, a long time). Because of this, 9 is connected with “forever” or “a long, long time.”

You might see 9 or 99 used in romantic situations, like 99 roses for a girlfriend, meaning “I want to be with you for a long time.”

Other Numbers in Online Chat

Now let’s look at some of the most popular number combinations that people use in messages and comments.

520 – 五二零 (wǔ èr líng)

People send 520 to each other to say I love you, because it sounds similar to 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ, I love you). Some people also use 521 五二一 (wǔ èr yī) to express I love you.

May 20, 5.20, is also treated like a Chinese Valentine’s Day, and people sometimes send 520 yuan in a red envelope.

1314 – 一三一四 (yī sān yī sì)

1314 is 一三一四 (yī sān yī sì), which sounds like 一生一世 (yī shēng yī shì, a whole life, forever).

It is used to say “for all my life” or “forever and ever,” especially in romantic situations.

Very often you will see 520 and 1314 together:

• 5201314
  (wǔ èr líng yī sān yī sì)
  I love you for my whole life.

Sometimes people send 520.13 or 1314 yuan in red envelopes or gifts to make it more romantic.

666 – 六六六 (liù liù liù)

666 is 六六六 (liù liù liù). It comes from the idea of 六 (liù) sounding like 溜 (liù, smooth, skillful).

Online, 666 means “awesome”, “you are very good at this.”

Typing 666 or 6666 in the comments is like sending a big “wow, respect.”

2333

233 and 2333 are sometimes also used in online chats. They come from an old internet forum where “233” was a laughing emoji code.

The more 3s you add to the number, the harder you are laughing.

88 – 八八 (bā bā)

88 is 八八 (bā bā), which sounds like “bye bye.”

It is a very simple and common way to say goodbye in chat:

hǎo de, nà wǒ xiān shuì le, bā bā
好的，那我先睡了，88
OK, I will go to sleep first, bye bye.

250 – 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ)

250 is 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ). In slang it just means “idiot” or “fool.”

748 – 七四八 (qī sì bā)

748 is 七四八 (qī sì bā). It comes from 去死吧 (qù sǐ ba, go to hell, go die).

This is quite strong, so it is usually only used jokingly between close friends, or in very angry online comments.

These are some of the most common and popular number combinations you will meet online. Do let me know if you use any other ones!

Happy learning,

Sandy