18 June mid-year shopping festival, launched by JD.com
Lucky Culture & society
What does 618 mean in Chinese?
In Mandarin, 618 is read liù yāo bā, and it sounds like 六一八购物节. 18 June mid-year shopping festival, launched by JD.com 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 六 | liù Cantonese: luk6 | 溜 liū (smooth); 顺 (smooth, via 六六大顺); 禄 lù (fortune) | Smoothness and flow: 六六大顺, everything goes smoothly |
| 1 | 一 / 幺 | yī / yāo Cantonese: jat1 | 要 yào (want, will); 一 (first, unity) | Unity, being first, and also 'want/will' (yāo ≈ 要) |
| 8 | 八 | bā Cantonese: baat3 | 发 fā (prosper, get rich); 拜 bài (bye) | The king of lucky numbers, 发 'prosperity'. The Beijing Olympics opened 08/08/08 at 8:08 pm |
How to use 618
- In chat and social media: it's recognised instantly by Chinese speakers, so context is everything.
- In business: it is a strong ending for prices, phone numbers and promo codes 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 618 mean in Chinese?
618 reads as 六一八购物节 (liù yāo bā). 18 June mid-year shopping festival, launched by JD.com
Is 618 a lucky number?
Yes. 618 is generally considered lucky or positive in Chinese culture.
Can I use 618 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.
Related numbers
Choosing a number that matters?
Phone numbers, plates, prices, addresses, launch dates: get a human expert's audit for the Chinese market.