Going to die. Many buildings skip the 14th floor as well as the 4th and 13th
Caution Unlucky / use with care
What does 14 mean in Chinese?
In Mandarin, 14 is read yāo sì ≈ yào sǐ, and it sounds like 要死 / 实死. Going to die. Many buildings skip the 14th floor as well as the 4th and 13th Chinese speakers use numbers like this because most digits sound like everyday words. That is why number meanings shape prices, phone numbers, car plates, wedding dates and even building floors.
Digit-by-digit breakdown
| Digit | 汉字 | Pinyin | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 / 幺 | yī / yāo Cantonese: jat1 | 要 yào (want, will); 一 (first, unity) | Unity, being first, and also 'want/will' (yāo ≈ 要) |
| 4 | 四 | sì Cantonese: sei3 | 死 sǐ (death); 是 shì (yes, in slang) | Sounds like 死 'death'. It is the most avoided digit: buildings skip 4th floors and plates with 4 sell cheaply |
How to use 14
- In chat and social media: it's recognised instantly by Chinese speakers, so context is everything.
- In business: keep it away from prices, product codes and phone numbers aimed at Chinese customers.
- As a gift amount: choose even amounts with 6, 8 or 9 (e.g. 88, 168, 888) instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does 14 mean in Chinese?
14 reads as 要死 / 实死 (yāo sì ≈ yào sǐ). Going to die. Many buildings skip the 14th floor as well as the 4th and 13th
Is 14 a lucky number?
14 is generally considered unlucky or negative, mainly because of the digit 4 (四, sounding like 死 "death") or a negative phrase.
Can I use 14 in a phone number, price or licence plate?
Use our free Number Decoder to score the full number. Endings matter most, and combinations with 8 (发, prosperity) raise the score while 4 (死) lowers it.
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Phone numbers, plates, prices, addresses, launch dates: get a human expert's audit for the Chinese market.