Why is the number four dreaded in Chinese culture?
Historically, the number four has been perceived as unlucky, and even evil, in Chinese culture, much like the number 13 in many Western cultures. While avoiding such a simple number may seem strange, there are many deep-rooted cultural reasons for this aversion.Pronunciation of Number Four in ChineseChinese is a tonal language, meaning that a word can have very different meanings depending on how it is pronounced. The Chinese word for four is “si,” pronounced with a falling tone. The Chinese word for death is also “si,” pronounced with a curving tone. This similarity is the root of Chinese culture’s dislike of the number four.Chinese People’s Superstition of DeathFor Chinese people, even mentioning death can mean bad luck. Therefore, there is a belief that if you have four of something, or something numbered four, unfortunate and horrible things can happen to you.Elevator SuperstitionsBecause of the superstition about the number four, some tall buildings in Hong Kong skip floors with t
