Tetraphobia facts for kids
Tetraphobia is a fear of the number 4. This fear is a superstition. It is most often found in East Asian countries. These include places like China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. People who have tetraphobia try to avoid the number 4.
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What is Tetraphobia?
Tetraphobia is when someone has a strong fear or dislike of the number four. It's not a medical phobia, but more of a cultural belief. This belief is very common in many parts of East Asia. People believe that the number 4 brings bad luck.
Why is the Number Four Feared?
The main reason for this fear comes from language. In the Chinese language, the word for four (四, pronounced sì) sounds very much like the word for death (死, pronounced sǐ).
Because these words sound so similar, people in these cultures connect the number 4 with death and bad fortune. This idea has spread to other languages too. For example, in Japanese and Korean, the words for four also sound like the word for death.
Where is Tetraphobia Seen?
This superstition affects many parts of daily life. People try to avoid the number 4 in various situations. This is especially true during important times or when someone is ill.
Buildings and Rooms
You might notice that some buildings in East Asia skip floor numbers. Floors like 4, 14, 24, and so on are often left out. This is because they contain the number 4. Apartment buildings and hotels might not have rooms with these numbers either. For example, after floor 3, you might find floor 5. Or, floor 3A might come after floor 3. This helps avoid the unlucky number.
Everyday Life
The number 4 is also avoided in social events. At wedding dinners or other big gatherings, tables numbered 4, 14, or 24 might be missing. People want to make sure their special events are filled with good luck. They do not want anything that might bring bad fortune.
Military and Ships
Even military groups follow this tradition. For example, the Chinese military often starts numbering its aircraft with 5. The Taiwanese and South Korean navies also avoid using the number 4. They do not use it when giving flag numbers to their ships. This shows how deeply rooted the belief is.
Tetraphobia in Different Places
The strength of tetraphobia can vary from place to place. It is often stronger in areas with a long history of Chinese culture.
Hong Kong and Singapore
In cities like Hong Kong and Singapore, many cultures mix. Here, you might see buildings that skip both 13 and 14. The number 13 is often seen as unlucky in Western cultures. So, these buildings avoid both unlucky numbers. For example, in Hong Kong, some tall buildings go straight from the 39th floor to the 50th floor. This can be confusing for visitors who do not know about tetraphobia.
Korea
In Korea, tetraphobia is not always as strong as in China. However, there are still places where it is very noticeable. Hospitals almost always skip the 4th floor. In other buildings, the 4th floor might be called "F" instead of "4" on elevator buttons. This is a way to avoid using the actual number. Apartments with many fours, like 404, can be harder to sell. They might even be worth less money because of this superstition.
See also
In Spanish: Tetrafobia para niños
