Tetraphobia

Tetraphobia is an aversion to or fear of the number 4. It is a superstition most common in East Asian regions such as mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.

The Chinese word for four sounds quite similar to the word for death. Similarly, the Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean words for four, shi (Japanese) and sa (Korean), sound identical to death in each language.



An elevator in a residential apartment building in Shanghai
 floor numbers 4, 13, 14 are missing



Special care is taken to avoid occurrences or reminders of the number 4 during festive holidays, or when a family member is sick, especially in Chinese culture. Similarly, 14, 24, etc. are also to be avoided due to the presence of the digit 4 in these numbers. In these countries, these floor numbers are often skipped in buildings, ranging from hotels to offices to apartments, as well as hospitals.

Table number 4, 14, 24, etc. are also often left out in wedding dinners or other social gatherings in these countries. In many residential complexes, building block 4, 14, 24 etc. are usually replaced with block 3A, 13A, and 23A.

In Hong Kong, some apartments such as Vision City and The Arch skipped all the floors from 40 to 49. Immediately above 39/F is 50/F, leading many who are not aware of tetraphobia to believe that some floors are missing.