“Tough to explain” – M’sian Says Number 4 Shouldn’t be Changed to 3A Because it Confuses the Kids

Happy 2024! Or to some people, it’s Happy 2023A! To some people, the number 4 is unlucky and bears a similar sound to “death” in Chinese, which explains why we often see the number 3A in buildings, elevators, etc.

A Malaysian man, however, does not think it’s necessary to change the number 4 to 3A. In fact, in his viral FB post, Taqiuddin wants local authorities to stop allowing this change to take place.

It’s confusing children, and it’s not easy to explain to them the reasonings behind the changes, given how children are always curious.

“It confuses children in recognising the order of numbers, and it also gives parents a tough time in answering their questions.”

For instance, when 3 is followed by 3A before 5, a child, who is taught that 14 comes before 15 is likely wondering,

“What’s 13A floor? Where’s 14?”

As adults, we may have the answer and we may know how to explain, but to make sure our message is conveyed properly and understood is another matter. In his post, Taqiuddin shared a couple of images showing the number of floors in an elevator and the number 13A, replacing the number 14.

His intention is just not to see an end to this change, but Taqiuddin also highlighted the confusion that may become an issue, which children today will raise in the future.

“Children nowadays are smart. It’s not impossible for their generation to raise this issue in the future.”

This sight is common nowadays in many buildings and numbering systems. Do you think it’s high time for us to revert to the original number 4, or do you think substituting it with 3A helps?

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