*The Chinese section of this article is the transcript of the podcast episode 《数字里的世界：中国哲学与文化（下）》. For the full experience, please visit the episode in English and in Chinese.
大家好，我是小月，欢迎来到今天的节目。今天我们继续来聊聊数字背后的文化。上一期，我们说了“一”代表整体，“二”代表区别，以及它们之间既对立又统一的关系，“三”代表变化，代表新事物的产生。今天，我们继续来说说 “四”、“五”和“九”。
Hello, Welcome to today’s podcast. Xiaoyue’s here. Today, wewill continue our exploration of the cultural meanings behind numbers. In the last episode, we talked about how “one” represents the whole, “two”represents difference and the relationship between things that are both opposite and connected, and “three” represents change and the creationof new things. Today, we’ll continue with “four,” “five,” and “nine.”
如果我们去看中国古代哲学的源头，你会发现，“四”其实是一个非常神奇、代表着“宇宙秩序建立”的数字。也就是说，有了“四”，世界开始变得有条理了。
If we look at the roots of ancient Chinese philosophy, we find that “four” is actually a very interesting number. It represents the moment when order is established in the universe. In other words, once we have “four,” the world starts to become organized.
这里我们要提到中国一本非常伟大的哲学书，叫做《易经》。书里有一句非常有名的话，叫做：“太极生两仪，两仪生四象。”
Here, we need to talk about one of the great philosophical classics of ancient China, the I Ching, or Book of Changes. It contains a very famous saying: 太极生两仪，两仪生四象”(tàijí shēng liǎngyí, liǎngyí shēng sìxiàng) — “Taiji gives birth to the two principles, and the twoprinciples give birth to the four images.”
“太极”，就是大家知道的太极拳的名字来源。它代表宇宙最早的时候，所有东西都混在一起，还没有分开的状态。 “两仪”，就是这个大整体分开成了两部分，也就是相互对立、但又互相需要的“阴和阳”（比如天和地、日和夜）。 “四象”，就是阴和阳继续组合、变化，变成了四种更具体的状态。
太极 (tàijí) literally means “the Supreme Ultimate.” It is also where the name Taijiquan, or Tai Chi, comes from. It represents the earliest state of the universe, when everything was still mixed together and had not yet separated.
两仪 (liǎngyí) literally means “the two forms.” It means that this whole is divided into two parts: the opposite but interconnected forces of yin and yang—for example, heaven and earth, or day and night.
四象 (sìxiàng) literally means “the four images.” It means that yin and yang continue to combine and change, creating four more specific states.
这“四象”一出现，原本混乱的宇宙瞬间就有了秩序。在时间上，它变成了春、夏、秋、冬四季；在空间上，它变成了东、南、西、北四个方向。
Once these “four images” appear, the universe, which was originally without clear distinctions, suddenly has an order. In time, they become the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In space, they become the four directions: east, south, west, and north.
古人还把四季、四方和四种神兽、四种颜色放在了一起，变成了一个非常有趣的组合：东方，对应春天和青龙。 西方，对应秋天和白虎。 南方，对应夏天和朱雀。北方，对应冬天和玄武（也就是乌龟和蛇组合在一起的样子）。
The ancient Chinese also connected the four seasons and four directions with four mythical animals and four colors, creating a very interesting system: The East corresponds to spring and 青龙 (qīnglóng), “Azure Dragon.” The West corresponds to autumn and 白虎 (báihǔ), “White Tiger.” The South corresponds to summer and 朱雀 (zhūquè), “Vermilion Bird.” The North corresponds to winter and 玄武 (xuánwǔ), literally “Dark Warrior,” usually shown as a combination of a turtle and a snake.
在古代中国，人们盖房子时都往往遵守这个规则。比如唐代皇宫的正南门叫“朱雀门”，正北门叫“玄武门”，就是因为南方对应朱雀，北方对应玄武，而屋檐上瓦片的装饰，也要根据不同的方向选择了相应的动物形象。
In ancient China, people often followed these ideas when designing buildings. For example, the main southern gate of the imperial palace in the Tang dynasty was called 朱雀门(Zhūquè Mén), “Vermilion Bird Gate,” while the northern gate was called 玄武门 (Xuánwǔ Mén), literally “Dark Warrior Gate.” Apart from this, even the animal designs used on roof decorations could be chosen according to different directions.
Also, because the ancient Chinese saw “four” as a very stable number, they liked to use it to summarize and organize four important things in different areas of society. For example, we often hear about: “the four great inventions” (papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing), “the four great beauties” (Diaochan, Yang Yuhuan, Xishi, Zhaojun), and “the four flower gentlemen”(plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum).
可以说，“四”这个数字，不仅帮古人划分了时间和空间，也帮人们整理和归纳了文明。
So, we can say that the number “four” helped ancient Chinese people not only organize time and space, but also organize and summarize different parts of the civilization.
接下来我们来聊聊 “五”。如果说数字“四”帮助我们把世界分成了不同的部分（比如四个方向、四个季节），那么数字“五”，则开始关注世界各个部分之间的联系和变化。
Now, let’s move on to “five.” “Five” starts to focus on the connections and changes between different parts.
说到“五”，中国文化中最重要的一个概念就是“五行”。就像古希腊哲学认为世界是由土、气、水、火四种元素组成的一样，中国哲学认为，世界是由五种最基础的物质组成的，它们是：金、木、水、火、土，这就是五行。这里的“行”是行走、运动、变化的意思。所以，“五行”强调这五种物质之间不断变化的关系。
When we talk about “five,” one of the most important concepts in Chinese culture is 五行(wǔxíng), usually translated as the Five Elements. Just as ancient Greek philosophy proposed that the world was made up of four basic elements—earth, air, water, and fire—Chinese philosophy developed the idea that the world could be understood through five basic elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The word xing here means movement, change, or transformation. So, the Five Elements are not simply five separate materials. The idea focuses on the constantly changing relationships between them.
它们有两种最核心的关系，叫做“相生”和“相克”。
They have two main types of relationships: 相生 (xiāngshēng), and 相克 (xiāngkè).
“相生”，可以简单理解成“互相帮助、互相产生”。木生火：木头燃烧会产生火。 火生土：东西烧完之后会变成灰烬，也就是土。 土生金：金属是从土地里的矿物中挖出来的。金生水：金属变冷时表面会出现水珠。 水生木：植物需要水才能生长。树木长成之后，再次燃烧产生火。成为一个完美的循环。
相生(xiāngshēng) can be simply understood as “helping and producing each other.” Wood can burn and produce fire. After something burns, it leaves ash to become earth. Metals are extracted from minerals in the earth. Water appears on the surface of cold metal. Water helps plants（wood）to grow.
但是，如果所有的东西都只是一直增加，世界就会失去平衡。所以，古人又提出了“相克”，也就是“互相限制、互相打败”的意思。火克金：烈火可以熔化金属。 金克木：金属做成的斧头可以砍断树木。木克土：树木的根会钻进土地。 土克水：泥土和堤坝可以挡住洪水。 水克火：水可以把火灭掉
But if everything only kept increasing, the world would lose its balance. So the ancient Chinese also developed the idea of 相克 (xiāngkè), meaning “mutually controlling” or “limiting each other.” Intense heat(fire) can melt metal. A metal axe can cut down a tree (wood). Tree roots (wood) can break into the soil (earth). Soil and dams (earth) can hold back floodwater (water). Water can put out fire.
这个五行系统，早就深深地融入到了中国人的日常生活和社会文化中。最直接的体现就是取名字。中国人给孩子取名字讲究“缺啥补啥”。长辈们会算一算孩子出生时命里缺什么。如果你缺水，你的名字里可能就会有“淼、江、海”这样带水字旁的字，用汉字来帮你平衡一生的好运。
This Five Elements system became deeply connected with everyday life and traditional Chinese culture. One very direct example is choosing names. Some Chinese people believe in the idea of “adding what is missing.” According to traditional beliefs, elders may calculate which element is missing from a child’s birth chart. If the child is believed to be lacking water, for example, their name might include characters such as 淼 (miǎo), 江 (jiāng), or 海 (hǎi), which are associated with water, in the hope of bringing more balance and good fortune to their life.
另外，在医学领域，中医直接把五行作为看病的核心方法。中医把人体的五个重要器官也和五行相匹配：肝属木、心属火、脾属土、肺属金、肾属水。哪一个器官生病了，中医就会去看它和其它器官之间的“生克关系”，帮你调理身体的平衡。
In traditional Chinese medicine, the Five Elements also became an important frame work. Five major organs are associated with the five elements: “the liver belongs to wood”; “the heart belongs tofire”; “the spleen belongs toearth”; “the lungs belong to metal”; and “the kidneys belong towater.” When one organ has a problem, traditional Chinese medicine may also look at its relationships with other organs through the generating and controlling system, with the aim of restoring balance.
更有意思的是，儒家还把五行和做人的道德放在了一起，叫做“五常”，也就是五种最基本的品德。仁（木）：像春天的草木一样，充满仁慈和生机。 义（金）：像金属一样刚正、讲原则。 礼（火）：像火焰一样明亮，代表对人的热情和礼貌。 智（水）：像水流一样懂得变通，充满智慧。 信（土）：像大地一样诚实、稳重，值得信赖。
Even Confucianism connected the Five Elements with moral values. These are called 五常(wǔcháng), “the five constant [virtues]” . “Benevolence” (wood): like plants in spring, full of kindness and life. “Righteousness” (metal): firm and principled. “Propriety”(fire): bright and warm, representing proper behavior toward others. “Wisdom”(water): like flowing water, flexible and wise. “Trustworthiness”(earth): honest, steady, and reliable.
最后，我们来看数字里最特殊、也最尊贵的一个字——“九”。
Finally, let’s look at perhaps the most special and prestigious number in this episode: “nine.”
要理解“九”，我们得先回到中国古代的阴阳观念中。古人认为，单数（也就是奇数）是阳，双数（也就是偶数）是阴。在“一、三、五、七、九”这串代表阳光、积极的“阳数”中，“九”是最大的个位数。因此，它被看作是“阳气的最高点”，代表着一种绝对的“极致”。
To understand “nine,” we first need to return to the ancient Chinese idea of yin and yang. Odd numbers were traditionally seen as yang, while even numbers were seen as yin. Among the yang numbers—one, three, five, seven, and nine—nine is the largest single-digit number. So it was seen as the highest point of yang energy, representing an absolute extreme.
正因为这种“走到顶点”的意思，“九”在中文里，直接变成了“非常多”、“非常高”或者“到了极点”的代名词。比如我们常说的成语：
Because of this idea of reaching the highest point, “nine”in Chinese often came to represent “a great many,” “very high,” or “anextreme degree.” For example:
“九霄云外”：古人觉得天有九层，“九霄”就是最高的那层天。现在用来形容非常高、或者飞到了非常远的地方。
九霄云外 (jiǔxiāo yúnwài), literally “beyond the nine skies and clouds”. Ancient people imagined the sky as having nine levels. Today, the expression describes something extremely high or very far away.
“九牛一毛”：九头牛身上的一根毛，用来形容数量特别特别多，而其中的一点点非常渺小。
九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yì máo), literally “one hair among nine cows”. It describes something tiny compared with a very large amount.
而当这种“极致”的意思走进古代政治时，就诞生了一个象征最高权力的词，叫做“九五之尊”。 “九”代表最高的阳气和力量，“五”则刚好处于一个最核心、最稳定的中心位置。当极致的力量掌握了世界的中心，这就是帝王、是皇帝。所以，“九五之尊”后来就变成了古代皇帝的代称。
When this idea of “the extreme” entered ancient politics, it gave rise to a phrase representing the highest level of power: 九五之尊 (jiǔwǔzhī zūn), literally “the honored status of nine-five.” “Nine” represented the highest yang energy and power, while“five” was associated with the central position. When the highest power occupied the center of the world, this became a symbol of the emperor. So 九五之尊 later became a way to referto the ancient Chinese emperor.
然而，当数字走到了最顶峰的“九”，接下来的路该怎么走呢？古人给了一个充满智慧的答案，叫做“九九归一”。字面意思是，经过了无数次的变化，最终还是要回到最初的数字“一”。这不仅仅是在说数学，它也是一种深邃的宇宙观。它告诉我们：无论世界变得多么大、社会变得多么复杂、人生走到了多高的位置，在经历了所有繁华之后，最终都要回到最本质、最简单、最纯粹的那个起点。
But once we reach the highest point, “nine,” where do we gofrom there? The ancient Chinese had an interesting answer: 九九归一 (jiǔjiǔguī yī), literally “nine-nine returns to one.” It means that after going through many changes, everything eventually returns to the original “one.” It is not simply about mathematics. It also reflects a deeper view of the universe: no matter how large the world becomes, how complicated society becomes, or how high a person rises, after all the changes and achievements, everything eventually returns to what is most basic, simple, and essential.
总结一下，“四”，帮古人划分了时间和空间（四季、四方），建立起了宇宙的秩序；“五”，通过五行的相生相克，解释了万物之间互相帮助、互相限制的奇妙联系；“九”，则代表了力量的极致、政治的权力，以及最后回归简单的宇宙智慧。
To sum up, “four” helped ancient Chinese people organize time and space through the four seasons and four directions, creating a sense of order in the universe. “Five” used the generating and controlling relationships of the Five Elements to explain the connections between different things. And “nine” represented the highest point, political power, and, eventually, the idea of returning to simplicity.
