Not being alphabetic, the Chinese language does not lend itself to abbreviations, but Chinese iKids do have an interesting way of adding some fun into their messages and texts. In fact, Chinese "text speak," as we might call it these days, was used long before smart phones and social-media apps. For example, the number eight (八) is considered a lucky number because it is pronounced ba, which sounds like the word for prosperity. Personally, I like it because, when placed in brackets, it looks like a bum. Similarly, the number four (四) is associated with bad luck because it is pronounced si, which sounds like the word for death.
In fact, lots of Chinese words have similar sounds to how Chinese numbers are pronounced, and this means whole sentences can be created using just numbers. One notable exception is the number "0" (zero), which is used to represent the word "you" (even though it does not sound much like the Chinese word for "you"). It is simply accepted that it represents the word "you" so sentences can be formed.
These Chinese "numerical sentences" have become extremely popular, not only in China but also in countries where no Chinese is spoken. For example, 594184, which sounds a lot like "You and me for a lifetime," is commonly used between iKid lovers in Western cultures, many of whom are unable to explain how its meaning is derived.
As you have a Chinese voice loaded on your browser, you should be able to hear the numbers and the "sentences" by clicking the audio icon. To our ears (and none of us speaks Chinese unfortunately), the numbers and the sentences sound quite different. Do you know why? Please tell me using the form below.
