30-Second Overview: In Taiwan, the homophone "four" (sì) = "death" (sǐ) causes society to collectively avoid this number; elevators jump directly from the 3rd to the 5th floor, and restaurants may ask guests for "3+1 people" instead of four. Meanwhile, auspicious homophones drive license plate "8888" to bids of 890,000 TWD, and wedding red envelope amounts follow a complex numerology.
If you are a foreigner visiting Taiwan for the first time, you might feel confused in an elevator: why does the button jump directly from the 3rd floor to the 5th? When entering a restaurant, if you say "four people," the server might reply, "Alright, 3+1 people." Welcome to Taiwan's world of homophonic taboos—a place where society rearranges numbers to avoid unlucky sounds.
The Public Enemy: "Four"
In Taiwan, no number is more taboo than "four." Because in Chinese, the pronunciation of "four" (sì) and "death" (sǐ) differs only by tone, this subtle similarity is enough to make society collectively steer clear of it.
The most obvious example is building floor numbering. Entering almost any building in Taiwan, you will find no "4" on the elevator buttons; instead, it jumps from the 3rd to the 5th floor. It is not just the 4th floor; the 14th, 24th, and 34th floors are also frequently skipped because they contain this ominous number.
The case of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is even more interesting. Despite being located in Guishan District, Taoyuan City, this famous hospital insists on using "Linkou" in its name. Why? Because the character "Gui" (turtle) sounds unlucky, which is especially taboo in a medical setting. Thus, the hospital prefers to "borrow" the name of the neighboring Linkou District in New Taipei City rather than be known as "Guishan Hospital."
The Art of Language in Restaurants
Taiwan's service industry has developed clever linguistic techniques to avoid homophonic taboos. When dining at a restaurant, if there happen to be four people, the server will not say "four people" directly, but instead says "3+1 people." Some restaurants even avoid "Set Meal No. 4" on their menus, jumping straight to "Set Meal No. 5."
This caution appears in more than just numbers. In many contexts, people avoid using homophones that might trigger negative associations. For example, when giving gifts, one would not choose clocks (a homophone for "attending a funeral") or pears (a homophone for "separation").
Astronomical Bids for License Plates
If avoiding "four" is about warding off bad luck, then competing for auspicious numbers is about attracting wealth. In Taiwan, the numbers on a license plate are not just identifiers; they are symbols of status and fortune.
The most popular is "8888," because "eight" (bā) sounds similar to "prosper" (fā), representing wealth. In 2017, a vehicle owner bid 889,000 TWD for the "AMG-8888" plate, setting a record price at the time. "5888" (meaning "I prosper, prosper, prosper") and "9999" (meaning "long-lasting, long-lasting, long-lasting") are also highly sought after.
Interestingly, homophonic culture also undergoes "dynastic changes." In recent years, "8787" has begun to gain popularity because it is interpreted as "don't want" (in Taiwanese/Hokkien, m̄-iàu m̄-iàu), which in certain contexts becomes a good omen for rejecting bad luck.
The Numerology of Red Envelope Amounts
Taiwanese attention to numbers reaches its peak in the culture of wedding red envelopes (hongbao). Giving a red envelope requires not just even numbers (as good things come in pairs), but also avoiding specific digits, forming a complex set of calculation rules.
Common wedding red envelope amounts include: 1200, 1600, 2000, 2200, 2600, 3200, 3600, 6000, 6600, etc. You will notice two characteristics in these numbers: they are all even, and they avoid "4" and "8."
Why even avoid "8"? Although "eight" implies "prospering," in certain contexts, the sound of "8" can also be associated with "breakup" or "parting," implying separation. Therefore, wedding red envelopes jump directly from 3600 TWD to 6000 TWD; the intermediate 4000 and 5000 are, of course, strictly off-limits.
There is another interesting detail: if a wedding banquet provides wedding cakes to guests, some people add an extra 600 TWD to the red envelope amount as "cake money," reflecting the meticulous consideration Taiwanese people apply to social etiquette.
The Subtle Balance of Regional Differences
It is worth noting that homophontic taboos also vary by region. People in Northern Taiwan are not as sensitive to the "four/death" connection as those in Southern Taiwan, and Cantonese-influenced taboos can be stricter than those of the Hakka people. This reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of Taiwan's various ethnic groups.
In commercial settings, to accommodate the feelings of different groups, a "greatest common divisor" approach is usually adopted—since some people care, it is better to avoid it universally, preferring to avoid trouble altogether.
Ancient Wisdom in Modern Society
In the technologically advanced modern Taiwan, why do these seemingly "superstitious" habits persist? The answer may lie in the power of cultural inertia.
Homophonic taboos are not just personal beliefs; they are a social consensus. When an entire society follows these rules, violating them appears jarring. If a building labels a "4th floor," it might affect leasing or sales; if a license plate contains "444," it will inevitably be difficult to resell.
More importantly, these taboos often come at a very low cost. Skipping a floor number, saying "3+1 people," or choosing an auspicious license plate does not require significant extra resources, yet it provides participants with psychological security.
A New Opportunity for Cultural Export
Interestingly, as Taiwanese enterprises expand overseas, homophonic culture is beginning to influence international markets. Some multinational corporations, when designing product models, specifically avoid numbers that might trigger negative associations in Chinese-speaking markets.
This phenomenon allows Taiwan's homophonic culture to transform from a "local characteristic" into part of its "cultural soft power," influencing the formulation of global business strategies.
The next time you take an elevator in Taiwan and see the floor buttons jump directly from 3 to 5, remember: you are witnessing the resilient survival of an ancient culture in modern society. This is not merely superstition; it is a profound belief held by an entire group in the power of language—the belief that spoken words can become reality, so one chooses to speak good words and avoid bad ones.
On this island filled with homophonic taboos, numbers are more than just numbers; they are vessels for hope and fear.
References
- Taboo of Four - Wikipedia
- Learn something new! License plate homophones also undergo "dynastic changes": 8888 is too old-fashioned, 8787 is loved by some
- How much to give in a wedding red envelope in 2026? A complete guide to the latest red envelope market rates, numerical taboos, and congratulatory wording
- Is Guishan actually Linkou? The truth behind the integration of Taoyuan and New Taipei
- "Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital" is actually located in Guishan, Taoyuan