Today marks our very first “Fact or Fiction Friday”.  Each Friday we will post a trivia question pertaining to language, interpreting, or translation. Today’s trivia question is: In Japan, four (shi) and nine (ku) are considered unlucky numbers. Fact or Fiction? 

In Japan, four (shi) and nine (ku) are considered unlucky numbers.

Fact or Fiction? 

In Japan, four (shi) and nine (ku) are considered unlucky numbers because the words sound the same as those for ‘death’ and ‘pain or worry’. Because of this, some hospitals don’t have room numbers 4, 9, 14, 19 or 42. Forty-two (‘shi-ni’) means ‘to die’, 420 (‘shi-ni-rei’) means ‘a dead spirit’ and 24 (‘ni-shi’) is double death.