The number 4 is avoided by some people and institutions in parts of East Asia because its spoken form can bring to mind a word for death. The connection is language-specific: Korean sa (四, four) and sa (死, death) are homophones; Japanese shi is one reading of 四 and also the reading of 死; in Mandarin Chinese, sì (四) and sǐ (死) have different tones. These associations are known, but they do not mean everyone in China, Japan, or Korea avoids the number in the same way.
Why does 4 have a connection with death?
The association comes from words that sound alike or similar, not from the written numeral itself. The details differ by language.
In Korean, the Sino-Korean reading of 四 is sa, and 死, meaning death, is also read sa. The syllables sound the same, which helps explain why some Korean buildings use “F” or another label for a floor numbered 4. A Korean cultural account and individual folklore records document this practice, but they do not measure how common it is across buildings today.
In Japanese, 四 can be read shi or yon. The reading shi matches the reading of 死, while yon avoids that sound. A scholarly discussion of Japanese word taboos describes avoiding certain shi and ku sounds in particular contexts. That is evidence of a linguistic association, not a rule followed by every Japanese speaker.
In Mandarin Chinese, 四 is sì and 死 is sǐ. The syllables share the same initial and final sounds but use different tones: sì is fourth tone and sǐ is third tone. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education dictionary lists the two entries separately as sì and sǐ. Calling them identical homophones misses this distinction. Other Chinese varieties have their own pronunciations, so the Mandarin comparison should not be generalized to every Chinese-speaking community.
Do buildings in East Asia always skip the fourth floor?
No single rule applies across the region. Some buildings may replace a 4 label, skip a floor number, or keep the number. A documented Korean elevator or a reported Japanese hospital layout can illustrate a local choice, but an anecdote does not establish a national policy or tell us how often the practice occurs.
The same caution applies to phone numbers, gifts, room numbers, and license plates. Without a reliable survey or documented dataset for a specific place and period, claims that people routinely avoid every number containing 4 go beyond the evidence.
What does research say about number preferences in China?
One study examined apartment transactions in Chengdu from 2004 to 2006. Its authors describe 4 as an unlucky number in Chinese numerology and report that apartments on floors ending in 8 sold for more or faster in certain parts of that market. The result is limited to that city, period, and housing dataset; it does not show that every buyer avoids 4 or that hospitals and phone companies follow the same practice.
This is a useful example of how number associations can intersect with a market. It should not be treated as a current nationwide estimate or proof of a universal belief. For more examples of how East Asian traditions assign meaning to numbers, see our guide to lucky numbers and colors in East Asia.
Is the number 4 unlucky for everyone?
No. A cultural association is not a personal belief shared by every person. People may know the wordplay and still use 4 normally; institutions may choose labels for practical, commercial, or local reasons. The available sources here document linguistic associations and selected examples, not the beliefs of all East Asian people.
Frequently asked questions
Is four pronounced the same as death in Chinese?
Not in standard Mandarin: 四 is sì with fourth tone, while 死 is sǐ with third tone. They are similar in sound but not identical in tone. Pronunciation varies across Chinese languages and regional varieties.
Why might a Korean elevator show F instead of 4?
In Korean, sa can refer to both 四, four, and 死, death. Some buildings use F or another label as a way to avoid the association. The sources cited here establish examples, not a current nationwide rate.
Is 4 always avoided in Japan?
No. Japanese 四 has more than one reading, including yon and shi. The shi reading can evoke 死, but this does not mean every person or institution avoids 4.
Do Chinese apartment buyers avoid floors with 4?
A study of Chengdu apartment transactions from 2004–2006 discusses number 4 as unlucky in Chinese numerology. Its abstract reports measured outcomes for floors ending in 8, so it should not be used to claim a nationwide avoidance rate for 4.
Related reading
The two numbers have different linguistic and historical contexts.
Sources and editorial note
The standard Mandarin pronunciations are checked against the Taiwan Ministry of Education’s Revised Mandarin Dictionary entries for 四 and 死. The Chinese housing example is from Shum, Sun, and Ye’s study of Chengdu transactions in 2004–2006. The Japanese word-taboo discussion is from a 2019 paper hosted by J-STAGE. Korean elevator examples appear in Korea.net’s cultural overview and a Dartmouth Folklore Archive informant record. These materials support scoped examples; they do not establish how common the practices are today across each country.
Sources: Taiwan Ministry of Education Revised Mandarin Dictionary: 四 (sì) · 死 (sǐ) · Caltech repository: Chengdu apartment study · J-STAGE paper on Japanese word taboos · Korea.net overview · Dartmouth Folklore Archive record.
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