Discover which numbers are considered lucky or unlucky across Chinese, Japanese, Western, Indian, Korean, Italian, and other cultures worldwide.
Number 7
Mixed — lucky in some cultures, unlucky in others
Cultural significance
Details
Chinese (Unlucky): 7 (associated with ghosts in some contexts) Japanese (Lucky): 7 (lucky in many traditions) Western/European (Lucky): 7 (divine perfection, lucky 7) Indian (Lucky): 7 (sacred in Hinduism) Korean (Lucky): 7 (lucky) Egyptian (Ancient) (Lucky): 7 (perfection) Vietnamese (Unlucky): 7 (associated with departed spirits)
Lucky In
Japanese, Western/European, Indian, Korean, Egyptian (Ancient)
Unlucky In
Chinese, Vietnamese
Full Reference
Chinese: Lucky: 8 (sounds like 'prosper'), 6 (smooth/flowing), 9 (longevity), 2 (pairs/doubles) Unlucky: 4 (sounds like 'death'), 7 (associated with ghosts in some contexts) Note: The number 8 is so valued that phone numbers and license plates with 8s sell for premium prices. Japanese: Lucky: 7 (lucky in many traditions), 8 (expansion/prosperity) Unlucky: 4 (shi = death), 9 (ku = suffering), 42 (shi-ni = to die), 49 (shi-ku = to suffer unto death) Note: Many buildings skip floor 4, similar to Western buildings skipping 13. Western/European: Lucky: 7 (divine perfection, lucky 7), 3 (holy trinity), 21 (blackjack) Unlucky: 13 (Friday the 13th), 666 (number of the beast), 17 (unlucky in Italy) Note: Triskaidekaphobia (fear of 13) is so common that many buildings skip the 13th floor. Indian: Lucky: 7 (sacred in Hinduism), 9 (completeness), 108 (sacred number), 3 (Trimurti) Unlucky: 13 (Western influence), 8 (associated with Saturn/Shani) Note: 108 is considered sacred — there are 108 beads on a mala (prayer necklace). Korean: Lucky: 3 (good fortune), 7 (lucky), 8 (prosperity) Unlucky: 4 (sa = death), 44 (double death) Note: Like Japan, Korean elevators often skip the 4th floor, sometimes replacing it with 'F'. Italian: Lucky: 13 (considered lucky, opposite of most Western cultures), 3 (lucky) Unlucky: 17 (when rearranged as Roman numeral XVII, anagram of VIXI = 'I have lived' = death) Note: Friday the 17th, not the 13th, is considered the unlucky day in Italy. Egyptian (Ancient): Lucky: 3 (trinity of gods), 7 (perfection), 28 (lunar cycle) Unlucky: 13 (associated with the afterlife) Note: The ancient Egyptians considered the afterlife lucky, so 13 had dual meaning. Vietnamese: Lucky: 8 (prosperity), 9 (longevity), 6 (smoothness) Unlucky: 4 (tứ, associated with death), 7 (associated with departed spirits) Note: Similar to Chinese culture due to historical influence, 8 is highly prized.