Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
The right answer for this test is A.
A. The Chinese character for 8 is “八 (bā).” Its pronunciation is similar to that of another Chinese character “发 (fā)” which means good fortune and luck. That’s why 8 is the lucky number for the Chinese. For example, when people choose new telephone numbers, they are more willing to go for the numbers with a 8 at the end. Moreover, people prefer to have weddings on dates containing the number 8.
B. The Chinese character for 4 is “四 (sì)” and its pronunciation is similar to “死 (sǐ),” which means “to die” in Chinese. So the number 4 is considered to be an extremely unlucky number in China, and Chinese people often try to avoid using this number, such as when choosing a telephone number, gate number, or their license plate number.
C. The Chinese character for 2 is “二 (èr).” It is considered to be a very funny and playful number. It is used in a somewhat derogatory way to describe a person who is silly or has done something foolish. For example, if A spends 50 dollars on a book which is actually worth only 10 dollars, his friend B may say, 嗨，哥们儿，你太二了！(Hēi, gē menr, nǐ tài èr le!) It means “Oh, dude, you’re so foolish,” in English.
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