Why is "8" / EIGHT a lucky number in China?

Question

I noticed that the Olympics started on August 8th, 2008

08.08.08 at 8pm Asian Time too!

Answer 1

because 8 is "baat" and it rhymes with "faat"  which means fortune .  

Answer 2

instead of 2008 performers for the opening ceremony they should just use 8888 people. mwahahahahahahahaha I'm so tired... *yawn

Answer 3

The number 8 (baa') is considered lucky by Chinese because when pronounced it sounds very close to the word for "prosper" or "profit" (faa'). (The apostrophe signifies a glottal stop.)  According to Chinese tradition, the repetition of auspicious words/sounds (even in written form) produces a mystical resonance that can beneficially influence the course of events. This also explains the significance of prayer flags and wheels (as in Himalayan Buddhist culture).

Answer 4

8(ba) sounds like 发(fa).

发 means "prosperity", not "earning money".

Answer 5

because '8' in chinese sounds a lot like' huat' , which is hokkien for 'prosper' or 'wealth'. hokkien is one of the chinese dialects. so the chinese believe that as long as everything is '8' ,then they will prosper.

just an interesting bit, '4' is considered unlucky because in chinese it sounds a bit like ' si' ,which means death or dying. so the chinese shun away from the number 4 as much as possible.

for the people who gave dumb answers, it ain't funny.

Answer 6

You know what , Chinese are obsessed with money and 8 has a similar pronunciation as "earn lot of money" ..

Well, the base pronunciation of 8 is "Fa"

Fa also means "make a pile /earn lot of money " ..

Thats why Chinese think 8 is a lucky number ..

Answer 7

I read that it is because of the shape of the character for 8, which is similar to two diverging diagonal lines. As the lines are getting further and further apart, it apparently gives a sense of infinity to native Chinese people.

I'm sure it is also because of the sound as well.

Answer 8

old superstition's   if they win eight gold mettle's but could have nine what would be lucky then ??

Answer 9

8 sound like money in Chinese.

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