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Tetraphobia

Tetraphobia is a cultural superstition prevalent in East Asian societies, characterized by the avoidance of the number 4 due to its phonetic similarity to the word for "death" in Chinese languages, such as Mandarin (sì for four versus sǐ for death) and Cantonese (sei).^[1]^[2] This belief stems from traditional Chinese numerology, where numbers are deemed auspicious or inauspicious based on their homophonic associations, leading to widespread practices that mitigate perceived bad luck associated with the digit 4.^[2] The superstition originated in China and has extended to other East Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as diaspora communities worldwide, influencing daily life and architecture.^[1] Common manifestations include omitting the number 4 from building floor designations—such as elevators skipping from the 3rd to the 5th floor—or renumbering addresses and hospital rooms to avoid it, a practice observed in cities like Hong Kong where entire ranges like floors 40–49 are excluded in residential complexes.^[2] Surveys of Chinese individuals indicate near-universal aversion to the number 4 among those aged 40–60, contrasting with preferences for lucky numbers like 8, which sounds like "prosperity" (fā).^[2] Economically, tetraphobia affects real estate markets, particularly in areas with significant Chinese populations. In Greater Vancouver, Canada, from 2000 to 2005, properties with addresses ending in 4 sold at a 2.2% discount (approximately $8,000 lower) compared to similar homes, while those ending in 8 commanded a 2.5% premium ($10,000 higher), with effects most pronounced in neighborhoods where Chinese residents comprised over 18% of the population.^[1] These disparities persist due to transaction costs that deter arbitrage, demonstrating how cultural beliefs can shape economic outcomes even in non-Asian contexts.^[1]

Definition and Linguistic Basis

Etymology and Definition

Tetraphobia refers to the cultural superstition and aversion toward the number 4, which is distinct from clinical phobias and is predominantly observed in East Asian societies where it influences daily practices, architecture, and social norms.^[3] This phenomenon manifests as a widespread avoidance of the digit 4, often leading to omissions in numbering systems such as building floors or product labels, rooted in symbolic associations rather than irrational personal fear.^[4] The term "tetraphobia" originates from Ancient Greek roots: "tetra-" (τέτρα-), meaning "four," and "-phobia" (φόβος), denoting "fear" or "aversion," forming a compound word that literally translates to "fear of four."^[5] Coined in modern English during the late 20th century, it was introduced in academic and cultural discussions to encapsulate this specific East Asian superstition, analogous to how terms like "triskaidekaphobia" describe Western fears of the number 13.^[6] In comparison to triskaidekaphobia, which is largely confined to Western contexts and tied to Christian folklore, tetraphobia exhibits greater intensity and broader societal impact in Asia, permeating urban planning, commerce, and etiquette to a degree that affects economic decisions and public infrastructure.^[3] This aversion stems primarily from linguistic homophones in East Asian languages linking "four" to "death," a connection explored in detail through phonetic analyses in subsequent sections.^[5]

Homophones in East Asian Languages

Tetraphobia in East Asian languages stems from homophones between the word for "four" and "death," a phonetic overlap that originated in ancient Chinese and spread through shared vocabulary systems. In Mandarin Chinese, the number four is pronounced sì (fourth tone), while death is sǐ (third tone), differing only in pitch but sharing the same initial consonant and vowel, creating a near-homophony that links the numeral to mortality.^[7]^[8] Similar patterns appear across other languages influenced by Chinese characters, where the shared script reinforces the auditory association. The following table summarizes key pronunciations in major East Asian languages, focusing on standard forms or Sino-derived readings where relevant:

Language	"Four" (Character: 四)	"Death" (Character: 死)	Notes on Homophony
Mandarin Chinese	sì (s⁴)	sǐ (s³)	Near-homophones differing only in tone; tones do not fully distinguish in rapid speech.^[7]^[8]
Cantonese	sei³ (level tone)	sei² (rising tone)	Identical consonants and vowels; tone variation creates partial overlap, but the similarity is stark.^[9]
Japanese (Sino-reading)	shi	shi	Exact homophones in on'yomi (Sino-Japanese) pronunciation, leading to avoidance of shi for four in favor of native yon.^[5]
Korean (Sino-reading)	sa	sa	Identical Sino-Korean pronunciation, with no tonal distinction, amplifying the taboo.^[10]
Vietnamese (Sino-reading)	tứ (/tɨ˧˦/)	tử (/tɨ˨˩/)	Close homophones in Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, sharing initial /t/ and vowel /ɨ/, though native words (bốn for four, chết for death) lack the link.^[6]

This phonetic convergence traces to Sino-Xenic vocabulary, where Chinese characters (hanzi in Chinese, kanji in Japanese, hanja in Korean, and hán tự in Vietnamese) were adopted with readings derived from Middle Chinese pronunciations around the 5th–10th centuries CE. In Middle Chinese, both 四 (four) and 死 (death) were pronounced approximately as /si/, a monosyllabic form that persisted in borrowed systems, embedding the homophone across languages without altering the underlying characters.^[12]^[13] As these scripts spread via Confucian texts, trade, and governance, the auditory link traveled intact, influencing elite and formal speech in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.^[14] Dialectal variations intensify the homophony in certain regions. In Min Nan (Hokkien), spoken widely in Taiwan, Singapore, and southern China, four is sì and death sǐ, mirroring Mandarin but with sharper tonal contrast in some subdialects; however, the association is particularly strong here due to historical trade and migration patterns that preserved archaic pronunciations closer to Middle Chinese /si/.^[15] This makes tetraphobia more pronounced in Hokkien-speaking communities compared to northern Mandarin dialects, where tones may dilute the similarity slightly. Linguistically, these homophones evoke death associations in Confucian-influenced cultures because Chinese and its derivatives are tonal, isolating languages with high homophony rates—up to 50% greater than in non-tonal languages like English—making auditory puns (xiehouyu) a core feature of ritual and taboo. In Confucian traditions emphasizing social harmony, filial piety, and aversion to mortality (as death disrupts ancestral rites), such overlaps are metalinguistically amplified, transforming neutral numerals into omens through cultural priming rather than semantics alone.^[16]^[17] This phonetic taboo persists as a form of linguistic relativity, where sound shapes worldview in societies valuing euphemism to maintain cosmic balance.^[16]

Historical and Cultural Origins

Early Evidence of Avoidance

The precise origin of tetraphobia is not definitively dated, but the linguistic basis for avoidance practices emerges from the homophonic resemblance between the word for "four" (四, Middle Chinese sijH) and "death" (死, Middle Chinese sijX), a similarity rooted in Old Chinese reconstructions (*s.li-s and *sijʔ, respectively).^[18] This phonetic overlap served as the primary catalyst for associating the number 4 with death in Chinese folklore, influencing subsequent taboos despite the number's traditional role in cosmology representing stability through the four cardinal directions and seasons.^[19] Specific early textual or archaeological evidence for avoidance of 4 is limited, suggesting the superstition crystallized gradually from linguistic roots rather than overt prohibitions in ancient China. The practice spread beyond China through cultural exchanges, reaching other East Asian countries like Japan and Korea, where similar phonetic associations developed in local customs.^[20]

Evolution and Spread

Tetraphobia's evolution from its linguistic origins in ancient China gained momentum during periods of urbanization, such as the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912 CE), when superstitions began to influence architecture and urban planning to promote harmony and prosperity. However, widespread practical avoidance, such as in building designations, became more prominent in the 20th century amid modernization and diaspora migrations. The superstition spread beyond China through 19th-century colonial-era migrations, when Chinese laborers and merchants formed diaspora communities in Southeast Asia, embedding tetraphobia in local practices across regions like the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia.^[21]^[6] In the 20th century, following World War II and the 1949 Chinese Revolution, waves of immigration brought the belief to North America and Europe, where it persisted in immigrant communities. Post-2000 urbanization in Asia has further amplified tetraphobia, particularly in high-rise developments where floors numbered 4, 14, or 24 are often omitted, influencing modern skyscraper design in cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai.^[22] This enduring impact underscores the superstition's adaptation amid globalization and population growth, with its prominence increasing in contemporary contexts despite limited ancient documentation.

Regional Manifestations in East Asia

China and Hong Kong

In Mainland China, tetraphobia manifests prominently in architectural and urban planning practices, where buildings such as skyscrapers, hotels, and hospitals routinely omit floors containing the digit 4, including the 4th, 14th, 24th, and higher multiples like 40 through 49. This convention arises from the phonetic similarity between the Mandarin word for "four" (sì) and "death" (sǐ), leading developers to renumber floors sequentially to avoid perceived misfortune. Hospitals, in particular, often eliminate the 4th floor entirely to maintain a sense of security for patients and visitors, reflecting the deep cultural integration of this superstition in public infrastructure.^[6] In Hong Kong, tetraphobia extends to personal and civic identifiers, with residents and authorities avoiding the number 4 in vehicle license plates, house addresses, and even identification numbers to mitigate associations with death. For instance, license plates featuring 4 are less desirable and often fetch lower auction prices, while addresses containing the digit are frequently altered or avoided during property development. This practice influenced overseas Chinese communities, as seen in 2015 when the City of Vancouver banned the omission of floor numbers like 4 in new buildings, citing risks to emergency responders amid pressure from its large Chinese diaspora.^[4]^[23] Economically, tetraphobia significantly impacts real estate in both regions, depressing property values for units or addresses incorporating 4 while inflating premiums for "lucky" numbers like 8, which sounds like "prosper" (fā). Studies of Chinese-influenced markets indicate that apartments on floors with 4 can sell at a discount compared to comparable units, prompting developers to redesign numbering schemes and contributing to uneven urban pricing dynamics. In Hong Kong's dense housing market, this aversion exacerbates affordability challenges, as "unlucky" addresses linger longer on the market.^[6] Culturally, the superstition influences life events, with couples in China and Hong Kong steering clear of dates or elements involving 4 or its multiples during weddings to ensure prosperity—such as avoiding the 4th day of the month or gifting items in sets of four, which symbolize death. In funerals, rituals and memorial dates similarly exclude multiples of 4 to honor the deceased without invoking further loss, underscoring tetraphobia's role in harmonizing auspicious and inauspicious occasions.^[24]^[25]

Japan

In Japan, tetraphobia manifests through the pronunciation of the number four (四, shi) as homophonous with the word for death (死, shi), a linguistic similarity that originated in Chinese culture and spread via shared kanji usage.^[5] This association leads to widespread avoidance practices in daily life, though the intensity is generally milder compared to mainland China, where entire ranges of floors containing the digit four are often omitted in buildings.^[5] The superstition intersects with Shinto and Buddhist views of death as a polluting force requiring purification rituals, reinforcing taboos around death-related symbols in ceremonial contexts.^[26] Hospital and funeral customs exemplify this avoidance, with many facilities skipping the fourth floor entirely and renumbering subsequent levels to exclude any containing the digit four, such as 14 or 24.^[3] Specific room numbers like 4, 14 (reading as shi-ju, evoking death), and 42 (shi-ni, meaning "to die") are particularly shunned in medical settings due to their ominous connotations, sometimes labeled alternatively as "4A" to mitigate discomfort.^[5] In funerals, numbers like 49 (ku-shi, sounding like "suffering until death") are avoided in planning, aligning with Buddhist memorial rites held over 49 days that emphasize transitioning the spirit while steering clear of inauspicious numerology tied to prolonged pain or demise.^[3] Gift-giving etiquette similarly prohibits sets of four items, as this could symbolically invite misfortune; recipients or givers often adjust to odd numbers like three or five to promote harmony and good fortune.^[5] Transportation infrastructure reflects these sensitivities, particularly in elevators, where buttons for the fourth floor are frequently omitted, and in extreme cases, entire blocks like floors 40 through 49 are skipped to prevent any association with death.^[5] This practice extends to vehicle license plates, where applicants often request alternatives to numbers containing four.^[3] The influence of tetraphobia permeates Japanese popular culture, notably in anime and manga, where the "Four Is Death" motif is a recurring trope linking the number to misfortune or mortality. For instance, in the manga and anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the character Guido Mista displays an intense personal tetraphobia, refusing to engage with anything involving the number four due to superstitious beliefs about impending doom.^[27] Similarly, Death Note prominently features the number four in scenarios tied to death, deliberately invoking East Asian cultural fears to heighten thematic tension.^[28] These representations underscore how the superstition, rooted in linguistic and ritualistic avoidance, continues to shape narrative elements in media while educating global audiences on Japanese cultural nuances.

South Korea

In South Korea, tetraphobia manifests prominently in urban architecture and numbering systems, where the number 4 is systematically omitted to align with cultural sensitivities rooted in Sino-Korean vocabulary. The Sino-Korean term for four, sa (四), is a homophone for sa (死), meaning death, leading to widespread avoidance in everyday contexts. High-rise apartment buildings and residential complexes frequently skip floors numbered 4, 14, 24, and similar multiples, with elevators labeling the fourth level as "F" for "four" or transitioning directly from 3 to 5; this practice extends to hospitals, where no fourth floor exists, and room numbers like 404 are renumbered to evade the association.^[10]^[29] Apartment units ending in 4, such as 104 or 204, often sell at a discount due to lower demand from buyers wary of the perceived misfortune.^[29] Telephone numbering reflects similar caution, particularly among parents selecting mobile numbers for children or businesses choosing contact lines. Sequences containing multiple 4s, like 44 or 444, are actively avoided, as they amplify the death connotation; while mobile prefixes begin with 010, subscribers often request alternatives without 4s in the subsequent digits to mitigate unease.^[10]^[29] This extends to ID numbers and addresses, where 4 is minimized to prevent psychological discomfort. The entertainment industry, especially K-pop, incorporates tetraphobia into promotional strategies and creative decisions. Agencies often steer clear of debut or release dates falling on the 4th, fourth versions of albums, or tracklists positioning songs fourth, viewing these as potential harbingers of poor performance or fan backlash. During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Korean media highlighted the "curse of 4," linking a series of athlete mishaps—such as falls in events on the fourth day or by competitors in fourth place—to the superstition, amplifying public discourse on the number's unlucky aura despite no causal evidence.^[29]^[30] In daily consumer practices, tetraphobia influences packaging and gifting norms to favor auspicious quantities. Products like envelopes of cash for celebrations or condolences are typically issued in sets of 3 or 5, skipping 4 to symbolize longevity and prosperity rather than finality; for instance, condolence money is given in 30,000 or 50,000 won amounts, avoiding 40,000. This extends to household items and personal care goods, where packs of 4 are rare, with manufacturers opting for 3- or 5-unit configurations to appeal to buyer preferences.^[10] Among younger Koreans, tetraphobia is waning due to Westernization and globalization, with urban millennials and Gen Z showing less adherence through exposure to international norms that lack such numeral taboos. While older generations maintain strict avoidance in major decisions like home purchases, the youth often treat it as a mild cultural quirk, selectively applying it only in personal choices like phone numbers without the same intensity.^[29]^[10]

Taiwan and Vietnam

In Taiwan, tetraphobia manifests strongly in architectural and regulatory practices, reflecting deep Chinese cultural influences. High-rise buildings, particularly in Taipei, commonly omit the fourth floor and other levels ending in 4, such as the 14th or 24th, to accommodate superstitions associating the number with death.^[31] This avoidance extends to official regulations, where vehicle license plates are prohibited from ending in 4, and the digit is restricted to a single appearance in national ID numbers.^[6] These measures underscore the pervasive impact of the belief on daily infrastructure and governance. The prevalence of tetraphobia in Taiwan was further reinforced by the mass migration of approximately 2 million mainland Chinese to the island following the Chinese Civil War's conclusion in 1949, bringing entrenched cultural taboos from regions where the superstition originated.^[32] During the Lunar New Year celebrations, which blend Taiwanese and mainland traditions, individuals actively avoid the number 4 in gifts, addresses, and verbal references to prevent invoking misfortune.^[33] In Vietnam, tetraphobia arises primarily from Sino-Vietnamese linguistic roots, where the term for four, "tứ," phonetically resembles "tử," meaning death. This has led to practical omissions in urban settings, such as high-rise buildings in Hanoi skipping the fourth floor in elevators and numbering to deter perceptions of ill omen.^[6] The superstition appears more entrenched in cities like Hanoi, influenced by historical Chinese cultural exchanges, compared to rural areas where native Vietnamese numerals and localized beliefs often dilute the taboo.^[6] Shared across Taiwan and Vietnam, the Lunar New Year—known as Tet in Vietnam—highlights tetraphobic practices through customs aimed at prosperity. Families avoid incorporating the number 4 into decorations, gift sets, or lucky money envelopes (lì xì in Vietnam), favoring odd or auspicious counts like three or five items to symbolize harmony and ward off deathly connotations.^[34]

Regional Manifestations in Southeast Asia

Malaysia and Singapore

Tetraphobia is prevalent among the ethnic Chinese populations in Malaysia and Singapore, where the number 4 is avoided due to its phonetic similarity to the word for "death" in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects. These countries' multicultural societies, with significant Chinese diasporas from 19th- and early 20th-century migrations, adapt this East Asian superstition to local contexts, influencing urban planning, commerce, and daily life primarily within Chinese communities.^[6] In Singapore, where over 70% of residents are of Chinese descent, tetraphobia affects public housing under the Housing and Development Board (HDB). While HDB blocks include a fourth floor, units on floors containing the digit 4—such as levels 4, 14, or 24—are less desirable and sell at discounts compared to equivalent units without the number. A 2021 analysis of HDB resale transactions found that units on floors 4 or 13 sold at a median price per square foot S$396, 1.49% lower than the overall median of S$402. A 2018 study indicated that units with unlucky addresses, including those containing 4, sold at a 1.3% discount. This impacts resale prices for HDB flats, as families seek to avoid perceived misfortune.^[35] In Malaysia, tetraphobia manifests strongly in Chinese-majority urban areas like Penang and Kuala Lumpur, where shop addresses and building floors often omit or alter the number 4 to align with cultural beliefs. Commercial establishments in these enclaves, such as shophouses in Penang's George Town or Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, frequently renumber units—replacing 4 with 3A or skipping it entirely—to attract Chinese customers and maintain positive feng shui. Real estate practices in the 2020s continue this trend, with properties on floors or addresses including 4 facing devaluation; developers label the fourth floor as "3A" in many high-rises, leading to premiums for non-4 units in Chinese-dominated markets. For instance, in mixed-use developments, avoidance of 4 boosts sales in areas like Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, where ethnic Chinese form a substantial portion of buyers.^[36]^[37] Multicultural dynamics limit tetraphobia's adoption among Malaysia's Malay and Indian populations, who do not share the linguistic association, but it is respected in business to accommodate Chinese partners and consumers. In joint ventures or retail settings, non-Chinese entrepreneurs often adjust numbering or pricing to avoid alienating the Chinese demographic, which comprises about 23% of Malaysia's population and drives significant economic activity. Similarly, in Singapore's diverse society, while Malays and Indians may view the practice as a cultural quirk, property developers and businesses universally cater to it for market appeal.^[6]

Indonesia

Tetraphobia in Indonesia is predominantly observed within the Chinese Indonesian community, a minority group whose cultural practices have been shaped by historical migrations from China despite the country's Islamic majority. The superstition stems from the phonetic resemblance between the Chinese word for "four" (sì) and "death" (sǐ), leading to avoidance of the number 4 in various contexts. This belief influences daily life among Chinese Indonesians, though it remains less integrated into the broader indigenous cultures such as Javanese traditions.^[38] In urban centers like Jakarta, tetraphobia manifests in real estate and hospitality sectors, where high-rise buildings and hotels often omit the 4th floor or renumber it (e.g., as 3A or 5) to appeal to Chinese Indonesian buyers and residents. Such practices are common in areas with significant Chinese influence, impacting property values and consumer preferences by associating the number 4 with misfortune. For instance, developers in mixed-ethnic neighborhoods adjust floor plans to mitigate perceived bad luck, reflecting the economic weight of this minority group in commerce.^[38] The May 1998 riots, which targeted Chinese Indonesians amid economic turmoil and resulted in over 1,000 deaths, widespread looting of Chinese-owned businesses, and sexual violence, significantly reduced the public expression of Chinese cultural elements, including superstitions like tetraphobia. Under the New Order regime (1966–1998), public displays of Chinese traditions were suppressed. The May 1998 riots further traumatized the community, leading many to continue private practices to avoid discrimination, though restrictions were gradually lifted in the post-Reformasi era, enabling greater public expression. Despite this, tetraphobic customs persist in private spheres, such as family decisions on addresses or personal numbering, underscoring the enduring but subdued influence of Chinese heritage.^[39]^[40]^[41]

Global Adoption and Variations

Influences Outside Asia

Tetraphobia has spread beyond Asia primarily through immigration and investment by East Asian communities, influencing building practices, real estate marketing, and hospitality in Western countries to accommodate cultural sensitivities. In regions with significant Chinese diaspora populations, developers and businesses adapt numbering systems to avoid the digit 4, associating it with misfortune due to its phonetic similarity to the word for death in Mandarin. This adaptation reflects economic incentives, as properties or services perceived as unlucky can face reduced demand from affected buyers or guests.^[42] In North America, tetraphobia manifests notably in urban areas with large Asian populations. In Vancouver, Canada, a city with a substantial Chinese community, developers previously omitted the number 4 from floor plans and addresses in new constructions, leading to confusion in emergency services and navigation. In 2015, the City of Vancouver implemented a policy requiring consecutive numbering for all new buildings and addresses, effectively banning skips of the 4th floor or addresses containing 4 to standardize urban planning.^[42]^[43] Similarly, in Toronto, real estate agents report that condominium units on the fourth floor or with numbers including 4 often take longer to sell in neighborhoods with high East Asian residency.^[43] In the United States, Las Vegas casinos exemplify tetraphobia's impact on the hospitality sector, driven by Asian high-roller tourism. Many resorts, such as those on the Las Vegas Strip, skip entire blocks of floors numbered 40 through 49—and sometimes any floor with a 4—to cater to superstitions among Chinese gamblers, who form a key demographic. This practice extends to room numbering, where suites avoid 4 to maximize bookings and guest satisfaction.^[44] In Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, areas with growing Chinese populations see similar adjustments in property development. Estate agents in London and other cities with high proportions of Chinese residents report that house numbering sometimes skips 4 to facilitate sales, as buyers from East Asia prefer addresses without the digit. This influence stems from increased Asian investment in UK real estate, where developers consult feng shui experts to avoid unlucky numbers.^[45] Australia provides clear examples of tetraphobia in Sydney's real estate market, where Chinese buyers represent a significant portion of luxury property purchases. In 2016, a prominent apartment development omitted floors 4 and 14 entirely, renumbering subsequent levels to skip any containing 4, explicitly to attract Chinese investors who view the number as inauspicious. Such practices continue in high-rise constructions, balancing local regulations with international buyer demands.^[46]^[47]

Modern Global Examples

In the digital age, tetraphobia manifests in apps, websites, and e-commerce platforms targeting East Asian markets, where developers skip the number 4 in timestamps, version numbers, and product identifiers to prevent user discomfort. This reflects broader business practices that treat 4 as taboo in software updates and digital labeling.^[6] Global e-commerce giants such as Alibaba extend these adaptations internationally, omitting 4 from product SKUs and promotional pricing to cater to Chinese consumers, thereby maintaining market appeal without alienating users due to superstitious connotations.^[48]

Economic and Corporate Impacts

Product Naming and Marketing

Companies operating in East Asian markets often adjust product naming conventions to align with cultural sensitivities around tetraphobia, particularly in China, Japan, and South Korea, where the number 4 is phonetically associated with death. Nokia, for instance, has historically avoided using the digit 4 in model names and software versions targeted at Asian consumers as a gesture of respect to local superstitions, which helps maintain positive brand perception and sales in these regions.^[49] Although Nokia generally skips models like a potential N4, it released the Nokia 4.2 in 2019, incorporating the number in a decimal format that may mitigate some cultural concerns while still catering to budget segments in global markets including Asia.^[3] Similarly, smartphone manufacturers like OnePlus have explicitly skipped the number 4 in their flagship lineup due to tetraphobia in their home market of China. In 2017, OnePlus jumped from the OnePlus 3T directly to the OnePlus 5, a decision the company attributed to avoiding negative associations with the number 4 to appeal to superstitious consumers and boost market acceptance.^[50] This strategy reflects broader practices among Chinese brands, where sequential numbering is altered to prioritize auspicious digits. Other major tech firms, including Samsung, occasionally omit the digit 4 from model numbers and codes when selling in China to prevent backlash from tetraphobic consumers. Samsung, for example, reportedly structured the Galaxy S8's model number (SM-G950) to skip any reference to 4, aligning with South Korean cultural norms that extend to product design for export to China.^[51] In marketing, companies adapt pricing and packaging to evade the number 4, favoring digits like 8 (symbolizing prosperity) to enhance appeal in Asian markets. For instance, product prices are often set to end in 8 rather than 4 or 9, as research shows higher adoption of auspicious endings in China, which can increase perceived value and sales.^[2] This extends to bundle sizes and promotional offers, where quantities containing 4 are minimized to avoid deterring buyers influenced by tetraphobia.

Infrastructure and Real Estate

Tetraphobia significantly influences the design and numbering of public infrastructure in regions with substantial East Asian populations, leading to deliberate adjustments to avoid the digit 4. In 2011, telecommunications provider SaskTel in Saskatchewan, Canada, advocated for the introduction of area code 639 instead of the originally considered 474, citing cultural sensitivities among Asian communities where the number 4 is associated with death. This decision, implemented in 2013, reflects broader efforts to accommodate tetraphobia in immigrant-heavy areas, preventing potential backlash against numbers evoking misfortune.^[52] In transportation infrastructure, airlines operating in or serving East Asia commonly omit seat rows containing the number 4 to respect passenger superstitions. For instance, carriers such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines skip row 4—and often rows like 14, 24, and 40—due to the phonetic similarity between "four" and "death" in Mandarin, Cantonese, and other languages. Similarly, urban planning in Asia frequently avoids 4 in building and road designations; hospitals, hotels, and high-rises often renumber floors to skip the fourth level or entire blocks like 40–49, as seen in Hong Kong's Vision City development. While specific highway renumbering is less documented, military and public vehicle numbering in China, South Korea, and Taiwan typically starts from five to bypass 4, extending tetraphobia's reach into broader infrastructural systems.^[53]^[6] Real estate markets in tetraphobia-prevalent areas exhibit measurable economic distortions, with properties featuring the number 4 in addresses commanding lower values due to reduced buyer interest. In Chinese cities, apartments and buildings with multiple instances of 4 often require price reductions of up to $30,000 to attract sales, as the superstition depresses demand and perceived property worth. This effect is quantified in studies of overseas markets influenced by Chinese buyers; for example, in Greater Vancouver, homes with addresses ending in 4 sell at a 2.2% discount—equivalent to about $8,000 on a $400,000 property—in neighborhoods with high Chinese resident concentrations, highlighting global ripple effects for investors navigating cultural biases. Such discounts underscore tetraphobia's role in altering investment strategies, where developers may incur redesign costs or forgo premium pricing to mitigate the stigma.^[6]^[54]

Psychological Research

Mortality and Health Studies

A seminal study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 by Phillips et al. examined mortality patterns using U.S. death certificate data from 1973 to 1998, finding that cardiac mortality among Chinese and Japanese Americans peaked on the fourth day of the month, with deaths due to chronic heart disease showing a 13% increase compared to the seventh day (relative risk 1.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.21).^[55] This observation was attributed to tetraphobia, as the number four sounds similar to the word for "death" in Chinese and Japanese, potentially inducing psychological stress that exacerbates cardiac events.^[55] In response, Gary Smith published a rebuttal in the same journal in 2002, questioning the causal link between tetraphobia and mortality, suggesting the pattern may arise from statistical artifacts rather than superstition, and proposing a methodological test by comparing mortality rates on the third, fourth, and fifth days of the month to isolate any specific "fourth day" effect.^[56] Subsequent research in the early 2000s, such as a 2003 analysis of Hong Kong death records from 1995 to 2000 by Panesar et al., failed to replicate the pattern, showing no significant increase in cardiac deaths, suicides, or overall mortality on the 4th, 14th, or 24th days among Cantonese populations.^[57] Studies in the 2010s and beyond have not confirmed a verifiable "fourth day curse," with limited empirical work shifting emphasis toward potential indirect health effects from chronic stress associated with superstitious beliefs, though direct causation remains unestablished.^[57] As of 2025, research on tetraphobia's mortality links remains sparse, with no new major studies emerging to address earlier findings or potential cultural biases in diaspora datasets.

Cultural Perception Surveys

A 2015 exploratory study in Hong Kong involving 40 middle-aged participants (ages 40-60) found that 100% disliked the number 4 due to its phonetic similarity to the word for death in Cantonese and Mandarin, underscoring the deep-rooted cultural aversion known as tetraphobia among this group.^[2] The research highlighted the need for broader investigations into younger generations, as the sample suggested potentially stronger adherence among older individuals, though direct generational comparisons were not conducted.^[58] Another survey of 348 Hong Kong Chinese students revealed that 29.1% on average expressed discomfort with the number 4 in daily contexts, such as home addresses, phone numbers, or car plates, with avoidance rates for living on the 4th floor reaching 29.9% overall.^[59] Generational differences were evident, as older female respondents showed the highest superstition levels (56% disliked the 4th floor), while younger high school students reported lower rates (around 11-23%), indicating a decline in tetraphobic beliefs with age and education.^[59]

Representations in Media

Popular Culture References

In the Thai horror anthology film 4bia (2008), also known as Phobia, the title is a deliberate portmanteau of "4" and "phobia," directly referencing tetraphobia by evoking the cultural fear of the number 4 in East Asian-influenced societies like Thailand, where the digit sounds similar to the word for death. The film features four interconnected supernatural tales directed by prominent Thai filmmakers, including Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, using the structure of four segments to amplify the superstitious connotation of the number.^[60]^[61]

Symbolic Depictions

In East Asian media, particularly within horror genres, tetraphobia manifests symbolically through the deliberate use of the number 4 to evoke dread, misfortune, or death, capitalizing on its phonetic resemblance to the word for "death" (such as "shi" in Japanese or "sì" in Mandarin). This cultural aversion is woven into narratives to heighten tension, often appearing in ominous phone numbers, room designations, dates, or counts that foreshadow tragedy.^[29] For instance, in Korean horror films, references to "Room 404" in haunted settings serve as a recurring motif to amplify supernatural fear.^[29] A prominent example is Takashi Shimizu's 1998 short film 4444444444, a precursor to the Ju-On: The Grudge franchise, where the protagonist receives a eerie phone call from the number consisting of ten 4s, directly invoking tetraphobic superstition to signal ghostly pursuit and inevitable doom.^[62] This motif carries into the broader Ju-On series and its American remake The Grudge (2020), where the number 4 recurs as an Easter egg symbolizing the curse's deadly origins, rooted in Japanese cultural beliefs about the digit's unluckiness.^[63] In anime and manga, Death Note (2003–2006) integrates the symbolism extensively, with the number 4 appearing in critical timestamps, victim counts, and even character-related elements like the 40-second rule for heart attacks, subtly reinforcing themes of mortality through Japan's tetraphobic lens.^[64] Similarly, Makoto Shinkai's Your Name (2016) uses October 4 as the date of a catastrophic comet impact that kills hundreds, embedding the unlucky numeral to underscore loss and fate in a romantic fantasy context.^[5] Television series like Squid Game (2021) employ subtler depictions, such as in the first episode where protagonist Seong Gi-hun receives four 10,000-won bills from his mother— an inauspicious count avoided in Korean gift-giving due to tetraphobia—while his birthday on April 26 further highlights the 4's pervasive, ominous presence in everyday life.^[65] These representations not only reflect cultural anxieties but also serve as narrative devices to deepen audience immersion in themes of mortality and taboo.

References

[1]
[PDF] Superstition in the Housing Market - EconStor
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(PDF) To Be or Not to Be Superstitious–That's the Question
Aug 8, 2025 · PDF | Numbers, to most Chinese, are considered to be auspicious or inauspicious, depending on the sound of the number.
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Why Do Some Cultures Believe the Number Four Is Unlucky?
Sep 20, 2023 · The Origins of Tetraphobia. In many East Asian cultures, including China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, the number four is steeped in superstition.Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
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4 - Tetraphobia - GlobalSecurity.org
Dec 31, 2018 · Tetraphobia is an aversion to or fear of the number 4. Some have suggested that the Chinese skipped the number "four" in designating military ...
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The Number Four: Why Do Japanese People Fear It? - Tofugu
Mar 27, 2012 · The number four is considered unlucky on such a broad scale, you'll see many examples of this fear in daily life across almost all East-Asian cultures.Missing: impact | Show results with:impact
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Tetraphobia and doing business in Asia - Acclaro
Fear of four, or “tetraphobia“, is a superstition that is fairly common throughout China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.Missing: origin scholarly sources
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[PDF] Lucky Numbers (Elementary)
Four is considered the unluckiest number. That is because the word si is a homophone for “death.” In some hotels in. China, there are no floors with a ...
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[PDF] Taboos in China: To Be or Not to Be - Semantic Scholar
Jul 1, 2012 · In mandarin Chinese and most dialects, “4” is pronounced as “si” (fourth tone), very much close to the other “si” (third tone) which means ...
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[PDF] A Comparative Investigation of Attitudes towards Taboo Language ...
Therefore, four (四) and fourteen (十四) are unlucky numbers in. Cantonese. Death (sei 死) is an important taboo word in the Chinese culture and so are ...
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The Number 4 in Korean Culture - Sherry Osborne
While 13 doesn't carry any particular bad vibes in Korean culture, the number 4 certainly does. This fear of the number 4 is called tetraphobia. Interestingly, ...
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How did the number 4 end up becoming a homonym for death in so ...
Feb 6, 2021 · The Sino-Vietnamese words for "to die" and "four" are not homonyms (tử and tứ respectively) and I think most people wouldn't make the connection ...If the number 4 in Chinese culture is unlucky because it sounds like ...Why is the number 4 considered unlucky in some Sinosphere ...More results from www.reddit.com
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Is the number 4 really considered unlucky because it sounds similar ...
Apr 24, 2022 · So yes, from what I grew up with, "4" is considered ”不吉利" exactly because it sounds like death since it is "si" (The tone literally does not ...
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Sino-Xenic Readings - Brill Reference Works
The term Sino-Xenic (SX) has come to be used to refer collectively to Sino-Japanese (SJ), Sino-Korean (SK), and Sino-Vietnamese (SV).Missing: death | Show results with:death
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Why is the number "4" so prevalent in Chinese history ... - Reddit
May 24, 2023 · My question is not about why there is tetraphobia, but instead why the number 4 appears so often in China's own historical references.Missing: impact | Show results with:impact
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[PDF] Metalinguistic awareness in linguistic relativity - Stanford University
The influence of metalinguistic awareness of homophones in Chinese is more commonly seen in culturally specific rituals, such as weddings, funerals,. Spring ...Missing: Asian | Show results with:Asian
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Homophonophobia - Language Log
After half a century of studying and teaching both Vietnamese and Chinese, I am willing to attest that Vietnamese homophony is about 50% greater than any ...
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[PDF] Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese reconstruction, version 1.1 (20 ...
Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese reconstruction, version 1.1 (20 September 2014). William H. Baxter (⽩白⼀一平) and Laurent Sagart (沙加爾).
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[PDF] Name Taboo in Ancient China: The Role of the Supernatural in Its ...
This essay introduces the name taboo (bihui) phenomenon prevalent throughout China's imperial history. Under this convention, the names of sovereigns and a ...
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A Comparative Study of Chinese and English Taboos - ResearchGate
Sep 1, 2025 · ... ancient China, the number “4” is. not an unlucky number. For example, in the “Siheyuan” in. old Beijing, people pay attention to giving four ...Missing: scholarly | Show results with:scholarly
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(PDF) To Be or Not to Be Superstitious–That's the Question
This article is a continuation of the discussion of a new idea about the need to compile a culturological passport of each number and its symbolic sacralization ...
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[PDF] Urbanization in China, ca. 1100–1900
Urbanization was high in the Song dynasty, declined from 11-12% to 7% in the late Qing, and remained at 7% until the early 1900s.Missing: tetraphobia | Show results with:tetraphobia
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Chinese architecture - Ming Dynasty, Pagodas, Courtyards - Britannica
The Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12) Qing dynasty work in the Forbidden City was confined chiefly to the restoration or reconstruction of major Ming buildings, ...Missing: tetraphobia evolution practices
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The Overseas Chinese: A long history | The UNESCO Courier
Sep 21, 2021 · By the beginning of the seventeenth century, there were about 100,000 overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, and around 20,000 to 30,000 in Japan.
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Post-World War II Asian American Suburban Culture
Nov 20, 2018 · Substantial numbers of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants moved into suburbs across the United States after World War II, bringing distinctive everyday ...
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Superstition in the Housing Market - SSRN
Jul 13, 2013 · Fortin, Nicole M. and Hill, Andrew and Huang, Jeff J.S., Superstition in the Housing Market. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7484, Available at ...
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Megacities to ghost towns: Asia's extreme skylines - CNN
Oct 28, 2016 · Hong Kong's tallest building has 108 floors -- but walking around it, you'd get a different story. The city's tetraphobia -- the fear of the ...
[28]
No more skipping 4, 13, 14, 24 in Vancouver floor numbers
Nov 4, 2015 · From the 4th to the 54th, any floor containing a 4 has vanished in an effort to cater to superstitious Chinese. Condo towers marketed to Asian ...Missing: tetraphobia | Show results with:tetraphobia
[29]
[PDF] Superstition in the Housing Market1 - Vancouver School of Economics
Nov 9, 2012 · We provide the first solid evidence that Chinese superstitious beliefs can have significant effects on house prices in a North American market ...
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15 Traditions Commonly Seen in Chinese Wedding Celebrations
May 3, 2021 · Firstly, "the number four is considered unlucky, so avoid giving anything in sets of four as a wedding gift," says Fu. Fu also notes that it is ...
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Buddhism & Burial: Attitudes to Death in Ancient Japan - think.iafor.org
Mar 24, 2016 · Professor Stuart DB Picken looks at Japanese attitudes to death through the ages, from primal awakenings to Prehistoric perceptions.
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Mista's Tetraphobia - Know Your Meme
Apr 5, 2019 · Mista's Tetraphobia refers to a peculiar quirk of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga and anime character Guido Mista, who is severely afraid of number four.
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Why is the number '4' so prominent in the Death Note?
Sep 4, 2017 · Because apparently, Four is Death. from the TV Tropes page of the same name: In most Chinese languages and languages that borrow words from ...
[35]
Why the Number Four Is Feared in Korea: Death and Language
Elevators skipping the number 4. Hospital rooms labeled 3A instead of 4. Apartment floors mysteriously going from 3 to 5. Welcome to Korea, where the number ...
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The Curse of 4: Are US Athletes Doomed by Korea's Unlucky Number?
Feb 17, 2018 · In South Korea, it's four. The reason behind the fear of the number four, known as tetraphobia, lies in the way it sounds. The Korean word ...
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Applied Quadrophobia - Language Log
This cultural superstition can be considered a form of tetraphobia. It is also common in China for the thirteenth floor to also be omitted. Kudos to the WSJ ...
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Tradition and Progress: Taiwan's Evolving Migration Reality
Jan 24, 2012 · The civil war in China in the late 1940s brought about a huge influx of 2 million Chinese Mainlanders into Taiwan, but the socioeconomic network ...Missing: tetraphobia | Show results with:tetraphobia
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Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) in Taiwan: How it's Celebrated ...
Jan 16, 2025 · Avoid the number 4 at all costs, because the sound is similar to death “si 死.” Some say that the number 8 is bad because it sounds like ...<|separator|>
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Vietnamese Superstitions: Origin And Cultural Connotations
Jun 7, 2023 · ... 4” resembles the word for “death,” making it highly unlucky. This belief has led to the omission of the fourth floor in elevators and buildings ...
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How to celebrate Tet Holiday like a Vietnamese: Best 3 things to do
Jan 20, 2025 · When deciding on the amount, remember that even numbers are preferred, and it's best to avoid the numbers 4 and 6, which are considered unlucky.
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Do units on floors and blocks with unlucky numbers 4 and 13 sell for ...
Aug 13, 2021 · It found that the unlucky number four had an effect on property prices in neighbourhoods that had more Chinese residents. Specifically, houses ...<|separator|>
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'4' or '3A'? A chat about tetraphobia | Malay Mail
Oct 24, 2025 · How strong is the discomfort towards “4” among Malaysian Chinese and will that remain in spite of continuing globalisation and urban growth?Missing: omit | Show results with:omit
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10 Common Chinese Superstitions In Malaysia To Know
Jan 30, 2024 · Chinese superstitions in Malaysia · 1. Don't cut your hair on CNY · 2. Skip the number 4 at all cost · 3. Avoid eating porridge for breakfast on ...<|separator|>
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How Lucky Is Your House? - Indonesia Expat
Jul 5, 2025 · Known as tetraphobia, this belief may not matter to everyone, but it does influence property values and buyer preferences, especially in areas ...
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Chinese-Indonesians and the Enduring Legacy of Epistemicide -
Jun 20, 2025 · For many of my Chinese-Indonesian friends, the massive protests instantly triggered bitter memories related to the May 1998 riots. One of them ...
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Indonesia Alert: Economic Crisis Leads to Scapegoating of Ethnic ...
Feb 18, 1998 · In Indonesia, rising costs of basic goods has produced violent protests aimed at ethnic Chinese, who dominate the retail economy.
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Missing floor numbers soon a thing of the past in Vancouver - CBC
Nov 5, 2015 · City staff say new rules mean every new building will now have every floor. Developers will no longer be allowed to skip floors because they are ...Missing: tetraphobia | Show results with:tetraphobia
[49]
13 and 4: Real estate's unlucky numbers and what some cities are ...
Dec 6, 2018 · In 2015, Vancouver announced it was banning the practice of leaving ... addresses containing the number four because they were having difficulty ...
[50]
Why do many Las Vegas casinos skip floors 40-49?
Mar 1, 2024 · Las Vegas casinos skip floors 40-49 due to superstition, specifically tetraphobia, where the Cantonese word for four sounds like "death," and ...
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Number 13 - unlucky as ever | Money - The Guardian
Jan 12, 2003 · In areas in the UK with a high proportion of Chinese residents, local estate agents report omissions in house numbering. At the Mount Vernon ...
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Sydney building leaves out floors because number 4 ... - Daily Mail
Mar 7, 2016 · The disappearance of the two floors is apparently because certain numbers are bad luck or have associations with death among Chinese.<|control11|><|separator|>
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Entire floors removed from Sydney high rise - Now To Love
Mar 8, 2016 · New high rise buildings in Sydney are being built without levels four and 14 because developers don't want to put Chinese investors off.
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Avoiding the number four in sport and culture at the Olympics
Feb 25, 2018 · In Korean, the word for “four” sounds like “death.” For that reason, the number four is considered unlucky in many Asian cultures.
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In Asian hotels, room number 404 is usually missing because the ...
Aug 25, 2019 · In Asian hotels, room number 404 is usually missing because the repetition of number 4 is considered bad luck. #GrandMillenniumDubai # ...
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[PDF] The strange non‑appearance of the iPhone 9 and other ... - Alpha CRC
In fact, tetraphobia 2 is a recognised term which means fear or avoidance of the number 4 (rather than the anxiety induced by the difficulty of opening a ...
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OnePlus 5 Vs OnePlus 3T Vs OnePlus 3: What's The Difference?
Jun 27, 2017 · Yes OnePlus is skipping the number four due to the phenomenon of tetraphobia in its home country. But the name isn't important when you consider ...
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Galaxy S8 model number reportedly skips number 4 due to ...
Sep 15, 2016 · If you didn't know it yet, tetraphobia, which associates the number 4 with bad luck, is practiced in South Korea. In fact, hospitals and public ...
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Arithmophobia Or Numerophobia - 960 Words - Cram
Tetraphobia is the practice of avoiding instances of the number four. ... Also Samsung phones stopped using model codes containing the number 4. Even Canon ...
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Why Do Most Airlines Skip Row 13? The Answer Lies In Passenger ...
Sep 4, 2025 · Similarly, Asian carriers like Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines omit Row 4, because the pronunciation of the number 'four'(四, sì) in ...Missing: tetraphobia | Show results with:tetraphobia
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[PDF] Superstition in the Housing Market1 - American Economic Association
8 Although both studies present some evidence of a potential effect of Chinese superstitious beliefs on house prices, they are limited by small sample sizes ...
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Dec 22, 2001 · Cardiac mortality in Chinese and Japanese Americans peaks on the fourth day ... deaths due to chronic heart disease (13%;1.13, 1.06 to 1.21) ...
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Scared to death?
### Summary of Gary Smith's 2002 Commentary on the Phillips Study
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Is four a deadly number for the Chinese?
Dec 1, 2003 · Background: The numbers 4, 14 and 24 are associated with death for Cantonese-speaking Chinese people, as the words for these numbers sound ...Missing: yin | Show results with:yin
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To Be or Not to Be Superstitious–That's the Question - ScienceDirect
Nov 20, 2015 · ... tetraphobia. The objective of this research is, therefore, to scrutinize Chinese perceptions towards numbers in Hong Kong. An exploratory ...
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Jul 19, 2023 · About four-in-ten Chinese Americans see China in a positive light, and around a third (35%) see the country unfavorably.
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Hong Kong is super superstitious - The Economist
Aug 14, 2025 · Tower blocks frequently skip all floors with the number “four” because its Cantonese pronunciation is similar to the word for “death”.
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4bia - AsianWiki
4bia / Phobia; Thai: สี่แพร่ง (See Praeng); Director: Banjong ... "4bia" is an anthology horror film from GTH studios, featuring four top Thai directors.
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Phobia (2008) - IMDb
Rating 6.5/10 (3,916) Four Fears, One Spine-Chilling Anthology Through four unsettling tales, Phobia (also known as 4bia) turns everyday situations into nerve-wracking nightmares, ...
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เมื่อคนเกาหลีกลัวเลข 4 และ JB ไม่อยากอายุ 29 | เรื่องน่ารู้ความเชื่อตัวเลข ...
Jan 29, 2021 · กลับมาที่หัวข้อบทความกันค่ะ จะว่าไปอาการกลัวเลข 4 นี่ไม่ใช่เรื่องเล่นๆ เลยนะคะ ถึงกับมีชื่อเรียกเป็นทางการว่า Tetraphobia ... คนดูซีรีส์ Crash Landing On You ยังจำฉากที่ผู้กองรีจอง ...
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"The Simpsons" Goo Goo Gai Pan (TV Episode 2005) - IMDb
Rating 6.9/10 (1,773) A broody Selma is keen to adopt a child and, on Lisa's advice tries to adopt one from China. However the rules say that she is supposed to be married so she ...
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Review: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage | TIME
Aug 21, 2014 · Tsukuru is a 36-year-old engineer who designs train stations. He lives in Tokyo and is unmarried and virtually friendless. He's content in his work but dogged.
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4444444444 (Video 1998) - IMDb
Rating 5.6/10 (762) 4444444444: Directed by Takashi Shimizu. With Kazushi Andô, Daiki Sawada. A young man receives a haunting phone call from a mysterious ghostly boy.
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The Grudge 2020: Number 4 Easter Egg Explained - Screen Rant
Mar 10, 2020 · As it's symbolically bad luck, it's no surprise that the number four is deeply rooted in The Grudge's mythology. The cursed house at the center ...Missing: symbolism | Show results with:symbolism
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The Secret Meaning of Death Note's 108 Chapters - Screen Rant
Oct 16, 2021 · The number 4, for example, can be read in a way that sounds like "death" in Japanese, and is often avoided as it's thought it could bring bad ...
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'Squid Game' is social commentary steeped in Korean history and ...
Dec 1, 2021 · A conspicuous theme is that of children's games. Obviously, the title of the show is a Korean children's game – Squid Game.