SEMANTICS AND PERCEPTION OF THE NUMERICAL COMPONENT "FOUR" IN RUSSIAN AND CHINESE PHRASEOLOGY: A LINGUOCULTURAL APPROACH

Katekina A.A.

Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Kazan, Russia
e-mail: akatekina@gmail.com

Introduction

In the context of the active development of intercultural communication and comparative research, the study of linguistic units that accumulate culturally significant information is particularly relevant. These units include phraseological units, whose semantics reflect a people's stable ideas about the world, values, and norms. Numerals are a significant component of phraseological units, functioning not so much as quantitative indicators as as symbols of cultural experience. In this paper, the term "numeral component" is used to denote the numerical element within a phraseological unit, thereby avoiding the terminological ambiguity associated with the concept of "numerative" (a measure word in classifying languages).

The number "four" occupies a special place in the system of numerical symbolism across various cultures. Its interpretation in Russian and Chinese demonstrates both universal and nationally specific features. The purpose of this article is to identify and compare phraseological units with the numeral "four" in Russian and Chinese from a linguacultural perspective.

Despite the persistent interest of modern linguistics in the numerical code of culture and numerative phraseology, phraseological units with the numerical component "four" have not yet received a systematic comparative description from a Sino-Russian perspective. Existing studies typically focus either on general issues of number symbolism or on the analysis of individual languages, while the typology of cross-linguistic correspondences, culturally determined differences in semantics, and the mechanisms of linguacultural interpretation of phraseological units with this numerical component remain insufficiently studied. This necessitates a comprehensive comparative analysis based on a linguacultural approach and corpus data.

The scientific novelty of this study lies in its first systematic comparative analysis of phraseological units with the numeral component "four" in Russian and Chinese, drawing on a linguacultural approach and data from authoritative dictionaries. The paper proposes a typology of cross-linguistic correspondences, allowing for the identification of universal and nationally specific features of the functioning of the numeral component in the two linguistic cultures. Its novelty also lies in its clarification of the nature of the ambivalence of the Chinese numeral 四: in contrast to the widespread thesis that negative connotations in phraseological units are completely neutralized, the paper demonstrates that negative connotations persist in a number of chengyus, suggesting a complex interaction between lexical homophony and phraseological meaning.

The theoretical basis of the study is formed by the works of Russian and foreign linguists devoted to the problems of phraseology, linguacultural studies, and the symbolism of numbers in language. In the works of V.N. Telia, phraseological units are considered a special type of linguistic signs that accumulate cultural information, value systems, and stereotypes of national consciousness [16, p. 56]. This approach allows for the interpretation of phraseological units with numeral components as elements of a linguacultural code, reflecting the collective experience and system of cultural representations of native speakers.

Conceptual provisions of linguacultural studies developed
V.A. Maslova [12, p. 45], as well as E.M. Vereshchagin and V.G. Kostomarov, substantiate the fundamental inseparability of language and culture and the possibility of reconstructing nationally specific meanings through the analysis of stable linguistic units [5, pp. 112–114]. Within the framework of this approach, the numerical components of phraseological units are interpreted as culturally marked signs included in the system of symbolic oppositions and value coordinates of the linguistic picture of the world.

The interdisciplinary nature of modern linguistics opens up the prospect of turning to psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches in the analysis of phraseological units with a numerical component. As A.A. Zalevskaya notes, the meaning of a word (and a phraseological unit as a complete nominative unit) is not limited to a dictionary definition, but includes a variety of connections within the structure of a native speaker's internal lexicon.
[8, pp. 145, 148]. From the standpoint of psycholinguistics, numerical components can be considered as special «keys» for accessing culturally conditioned cognitive scenarios and associative fields [9, pp. 78, 82]. In turn, the research of T.V. Chernigovskaya emphasizes the inextricable connection of linguistic structures, including numerical ones, with the processes of categorization and conceptualization of the world in human consciousness [17, pp. 212, 215]. In this paper, the psycholinguistic approach is used as a theoretical basis to substantiate the importance of studying the internal mechanisms of perception of numerical components, and as a promising direction for subsequent experimental verification of the obtained conclusions, without being a method of direct analysis of linguistic material.

Of considerable interest in modern linguistics is the problem of numerative phraseology, which seeks to identify the symbolic and axiological potential of numbers within set expressions. In O.A. Bulgakova's research, the numerical components of Russian and Chinese phraseology are analyzed from a linguacultural and comparative perspective, allowing for the identification of both universal and nationally specific features of their semantics and functioning [3, p. 92]. In the works of M.A. Bredis, O.V. Lomakina and B. Xue, the productivity of the numerical code as a tool for linguocultural analysis is substantiated; however, the typology of interlingual correspondences proposed in them does not cover the specifics of the numerical component «four» in full, leaving room for further clarification [2, p. 78]. A number of studies emphasize that the numerical elements within phraseological units do not perform an exclusively quantitative function, but rather act as bearers of culturally significant meanings associated with traditional concepts, mythological, and symbolic models of thought. Moreover, as T.G. Nikitina and E.I. Rogaleva rightly note, interpreting the nationally specific meanings of numerical components requires the use of innovative techniques of linguacultural representation, which emphasizes the need to develop flexible methods of analysis that take into account both the universal and idioethnic features of the units under study [13, p. 179].

The number "four" occupies a special place in the study of numerical symbolism, possessing a high level of cultural significance, particularly in Chinese linguistic culture. Corpus-based approaches to the study of phraseology with numerical components allow for the empirical verification of the semantic and frequency characteristics of set expressions. Academic dictionaries of the Russian language, specialized Chinese explanatory dictionaries, and dictionaries of chengyu (set phraseological phrases) are used as primary materials [6; 15]. These sources document the normative meanings, frequency of use, and cultural connotations of numerical elements.

The cross-cultural aspect of the study is realized through a comparison of Russian and Chinese phraseological systems, which allows us to identify both universal and culture-specific features of the functioning of the numeral component "four" in the two linguistic cultures. A literature review demonstrates that such a comparison is in demand in modern linguistics and requires a systematic corpus study to identify the typology of cross-linguistic correspondences and culturally determined semantic features.

 

Materials and methods

The study's material consists of phraseological units with the numeral component "four," recorded in authoritative Russian and Chinese lexicographic sources. The Russian language material was selected based on phraseological and explanatory dictionaries of modern Russian, which document the standard meanings and usage of set expressions with numeral components. The Chinese corpus was compiled from academic explanatory and phraseological dictionaries of the Chinese language, including specialized chengyu dictionaries that reflect the semantics and cultural connotations of set expressions with the numeral component 四. sì.

The total volume of the analyzed material is more than 70 phraseological units (45 Russian and 31 Chinese), which ensures the representativeness of the study and allows us to identify stable patterns in the functioning of the numeral component «four» in the compared linguacultures.

The methodological basis of the study is formed by general scientific and specialized linguistic methods. descriptive method, including techniques for observing, classifying and systematizing phraseological units with a numerical component. Linguocultural analysis is used to identify culturally significant meanings and symbolic connotations of the numerical component «four» in set expressions.

The comparative method allows us to identify types of cross-linguistic correspondences between Russian and Chinese phraseological units, identifying universal and nationally specific features of their semantics and functioning. The following types of correspondences are used in this comparison: full equivalents, partial equivalents, functional analogs, and units without equivalents.

To clarify the semantic characteristics and check the stability of the identified values, the following is used: element of corpus analysis, This method allows for the frequency and contextual features of phraseological units to be taken into account. The use of corpus data ensures empirical verification of conclusions and increases the reliability of the material's interpretation.

The integrated application of the listed methods provides a multifaceted examination of phraseological units with the numerical component «four» and allows us to identify their role in the formation of the linguacultural code of the Russian and Chinese languages.

The analysis undertaken in this work is based primarily on data from lexicographic sources, which allows us to identify systemic, established meanings of phraseological units. At the same time, following
A.A. Zalevskoy, we recognize that a complete understanding of the semantics and connotative potential of linguistic units requires reference to experimental data that record their actual functioning in the consciousness of native speakers [9, p. 20, 115]. As shown in the study
M. Nives Rivera, the lexicon functions as a mediator between the non-linguistic cognitive system of numbers (Approximate Number System, or the system of approximate quantitative estimates) and linguistic expressions, which confirms the need to integrate data from cognitive psychology and linguistics in the study of units with a numerical component [19, pp. 8–10].

In developing the typology of interlingual correspondences, we relied on the theoretical provisions developed in the works of D.O. Dobrovolsky, who substantiates the need to distinguish between purely linguistic and culturally determined factors in the comparative analysis of phraseology [7, pp. 245, 247, 248, 250]. The works of N.M. Shansky, which laid the foundations, are also methodologically significant.
structural and semantic analysis of Russian phraseological units [18], and
A.N. Baranova with D.O. Dobrovolsky, who generalized modern approaches to the typology of phraseological units [1, pp. 87–102].

A promising direction for further research, beyond the scope of this work, is to conduct associative experiments that allow us to verify and supplement the conclusions obtained through lexicographic analysis. As noted
A.A. Zalevskaya, the meaning of a word (and a phraseological unit as a complete nominative unit) is not limited to a dictionary definition, but includes a variety of connections in the structure of the internal lexicon of a native speaker
[8, p. 145, 148]. Turning to psycholinguistic methods will in the future make it possible to study the actual functioning of numerical phraseological units in the consciousness of native speakers, which will complement the results of linguacultural analysis.

 

Results and discussion

For the Russian mind, the number four is firmly linked to the idea of order—it's enough to recall the four cardinal directions, the four seasons, or the four elements that underlie the universe. This symbolism is reflected in the phraseological foundation of the Russian language..

Representative phraseological units include: - sit within four walls (colloquial express) – (1) Without communicating with anyone, completely alone, (2) Without leaving the premises; in all four directions (colloquial) - anywhere, wherever you want (leave, clean up, drive away); as two plus two makes four - absolutely clear, understandable; fourth dimension (iron.) – trans. a supernatural and fruitlessly sought after quantity, something incomprehensible and unsolvable; on four legs (simple expressive) – very quickly, hastily (to run away, to leave, etc.); between four yearslaz (obsolete) – alone with someone; without witnesses.

Russian phraseological units containing the number "four" reflect notions of completeness, finality, and spatial and temporal order in the linguistic worldview, which is evident in their semantics and usage. For example, the expression "sitting within four walls" denotes being completely alone and confined within a confined space, where the numerical component "four" symbolizes a closed, complete system. Similarly, "between four eyes" captures the privacy of communication, creating the image of an enclosed space. In expressions describing direction or scope, such as "in all four directions," the number "four" actualizes the idea of the spread of action in all directions and completeness of scope, while in "standing at four corners" it reinforces the stability and integrity of the structure. The figurative and logical functions of the numerical component are evident in expressions such as "like two and two are four," where the number symbolizes obviousness and undeniability, and "the fourth dimension," which ironically denotes the supernatural or incomprehensible, expanding the familiar three-dimensional space. In dynamic expressions such as "on all fours," the numerical component reinforces the idea of full activity and speed of action. The connotation of these units is predominantly neutral; ironic or figurative connotations are less common, and negative connotations are formed contextually (see Table 1).

Table 1. Russian phraseological units with the numerical component «four»

№	FE	Meaning	Connotation	Match type
Semantic group: order, completeness, basis, obviousness
1.	Without the Trinity a house cannot be built, without four corners a hut cannot be built	about the need for a foundation in any business	neutral	functional analogue (to 四角俱全)
2.	A house cannot be built without four corners.	about the need for a foundation in any business	neutral	functional analogue (to 四角俱全)
3.	House with Four Corners	about the simplest, most basic housing	neutral	functional analogue (to 四方)
4.	Four corners of the house for construction, four seasons for the year for accomplishment	about the regularity, the order of things	neutral	functional analogue (to 四时八节, 四序迁流)
5.	sit within four walls	without communicating with anyone, completely alone; without leaving the room	neutral / expressive	nonequivalent
6.	between four eyes	(obsolete) alone with someone, without witnesses	neutral	nonequivalent
7.	from all four sides	from everywhere, from all directions	neutral	partial equivalent (to 四面受敌, 四面八方)
8.	in all four directions	anywhere, wherever you want (to leave, to clean up, to drive away)	neutral / conversational	functional analogue (to 四面八方)
9.	as two plus two makes four	absolutely clear, understandable, obvious	neutral	nonequivalent
10.	to all four winds	(colloquial obsolete) togo wherever you want, in any direction	neutral / expressive	functional analogue (k四面八方)
Semantic group: stability and instability, speed, inefficiency
11.	A horse has four legs, and even then it stumbles / A horse has four legs, and even then it stumbles	everyone can make mistakes	neutral	functional analogue (to Chinese proverbs about imperfection)
12.	No matter how you throw a cat, it will land on its four paws. / A cat always lands on its four paws.	about the ability to get out of difficult situations	neutral	nonequivalent
13.	on four legs	(simple expressive) very quickly, hastily (to run away, to leave, etc.)	neutral / conversational	nonequivalent
14.	Four hard millstones will not grind good flour	about inefficiency without the right approach	neutral	nonequivalent
Semantic group: spatial completeness and closure
15.	four cardinal directions	all directions, the whole world	neutral	functional analogue (to 四海, 四面八方)
16.	The four cardinal points are located on the four seas	about the cosmic structure of the world	neutral	functional analogue (to 四海, 四方)
17.	Four stakes driven in and covered by the sky	about poor housing, about an unenviable fate	neutral / poetic	nonequivalent
18.	There are four oak trees by the river	riddle, symbolic description	neutral	nonequivalent
19.	He has four corners as guests	(ironically) about a lonely, withdrawn person	neutral / expressive	nonequivalent
Semantic group: temporal cyclicity, terms
20.	They wait three years for a loan, and forget about it on the fourth.	about deferring a debt that is eventually forgiven	neutral	nonequivalent
21.	four seasons	all year round	neutral	functional analogue (to 四时八节, 四序迁流)
22.	Flax blooms for two weeks, ripens for four weeks, and the seed flies in the seventh.	about the ripening time of flax (figuratively about precise knowledge of the matter)	neutral	nonequivalent
23.	There are four Thursdays in one week	about an unprecedented, impossible event	ironic	nonequivalent
24.	There are four Thursdays in one week, and a village month has ten weeks.	ironic about the confusion with deadlines, about the chaos	ironic	nonequivalent
Semantic group: quantity, measure, evaluation
25.	The village is large: four courtyards, eight streets	ironic about a place that is called big, but it is not	ironic	nonequivalent
26.	Four courtyards, and in each courtyard there is a godfather and a godmother	about a small community where everyone knows each other	neutral	nonequivalent
27.	One chimney, four huts, eight – street	about a small village	neutral	nonequivalent
28.	Shumi, village: four yards, two gates, one chimney	ironic about a small but noisy village	ironic	nonequivalent
29.	Seven minus four and three flew away	about confusion in counting, about an unclear quantity	ironic	nonequivalent
30.	The spoon is narrow and carries two pieces at a time; make it wider and it will pull out four.	that a larger container allows you to take in more	neutral	nonequivalent
31.	I bought them for four kopeks and sold a couple for two groshiks.	about an unprofitable deal, about a lack of commercial acumen, about an inability to conduct business	ironic / negative	nonequivalent
Semantic group: social status, wealth, poverty
32.	Makei had four footmen, and now Makei is a footman himself	about ruin, loss of former position	ironic / negative	nonequivalent
33.	Four floors, but bare sides	irony about poverty with external gloss	ironic	nonequivalent
34.	Ah, judge, judge: four floors, eight pockets!	ironic about a bribe-taker	ironic / negative	nonequivalent
35.	Ah, you sly one! Four flaps, eight pockets	ironic about a cunning, dodgy person	ironic / negative	nonequivalent
36.	I have four good fathers, the fifth is a priest.	about a person who has many mentors or patrons	neutral	nonequivalent
37.	I bow to four, and God help the fifth!	about respect for elders or respected people	neutral	nonequivalent
38.	Four neighbors, eight houses	about one's immediate surroundings (from the proverb 四邻八舍)	neutral	functional analogue (to 四邻八舍)
39.	four eyes (four-eyed)	a derogatory nickname for a person who wears glasses	negative / rude	nonequivalent
40.	The jury has four eyes, and not just one conscience	A humorous joke about unfair judging and people who have no conscience.	ironic / negative	nonequivalent
Semantic group: freedom of choice, life path
41.	In an open field there are four wills: either there, or here, or otherwise	about freedom of choice, about the absence of restrictions	neutral	nonequivalent
42.	Makar will bow and look in all four directions	about the possibility of choice, looking around	neutral	partial equivalent (to 四面八方)
43.	Forging with four hammers	about joint efforts, about working together as a world	neutral	nonequivalent
44.	When I was small, I played four pipes; when I grew big, I raised the earth.	about a man who was carefree as a child, but grew up to work	neutral	nonequivalent
Semantic group: supernatural, incomprehensible
45.	fourth dimension	(iron.) a supernatural and fruitlessly sought after quantity, something incomprehensible and unsolvable	ironic	nonequivalent

The table presented allows us to systematize Russian phraseological units with the numeral component "four" and clearly demonstrate their semantic, connotative, and structural features. As can be seen from the table, Russian lacks full equivalents for Chinese chengyu units with the 四 component: some phraseological units have partial correspondences or functional analogs (for example, in all four directions comparable to Chinese 四面八方 и 四通八达;  four neighbors, eight houses – with 四邻八舍), the rest are non-equivalent and have no correspondence in Chinese phraseology (as two plus two makes four, fourth dimension, four eyes, between four eyes, to sit within four walls and others).

The proverbs and sayings included in the table deserve special attention. They expand our understanding of the role of the number "four" in the Russian linguistic worldview, demonstrating universal ideas of order, completeness, and stability (cf.: A house cannot be built without four corners., A horse has four legs, and even then it stumbles.), as well as specific ironic connotations (The village is large: four courtyards, eight streets, Ah, judge, judge: four floors, eight pockets!). Unlike Chinese phraseology, where the negative connotations of the number 四 are associated primarily with homophony
(四 / 死 "death"), in the Russian language, a negative or ironic connotation arises contextually or is assigned to units that have no direct relation to numerical symbolism and are associated with social and everyday stigmatization (for example, four eyes – nickname man in glasses).

It is significant that in the Russian tradition there is no consistent negative symbolism of the number "four" comparable to Chinese tetraphobia. Even in proverbs describing poverty or adversity (Four floors, but the sides are bare; Four stakes driven in, and covered with the sky), the number «four» does not act as a source of negative evaluation, but as a quantitative marker that neutrally describes the situation. Ironic or negative connotations arise solely in context, as in the proverb (I bought them for four kopeks and sold a couple for two groshik., where the number "four" is involved in creating the image of an unprofitable deal, but the negative assessment itself is formed by the opposition of the purchase and sale prices, and not by the symbolism of the number.

A comparison with Chinese phraseological units containing the number 四 shows that there are virtually no direct, full equivalents. Some Russian expressions have partial equivalents or functional analogs, for example, "in all four directions" is comparable to the Chinese 四面八方 and 四通八达, "between four eyes" is comparable to 四下无人 and 四顾无人. At the same time, many Russian phraseological units containing the component "four" have no equivalents in Chinese phraseology (for example, as two plus two makes four, fourth dimension, four eyes), and some Chinese chengyus with the 四 component (e.g., 四马攒蹄, 四平八稳) are not equivalent to Russian linguistic culture due to differences in their figurative basis or axiological nuances. Thus, the numeral component "four" in Russian functions as a figurative and symbolic marker of completeness, finality, and direction, whereas in Chinese chengyus, the number is formalized and often carries historical, philosophical, or idiomatic connotations. The analysis reveals both universal and nationally specific mechanisms for the formation of numeral phraseological units, demonstrating the potential of the numeral component as an element of the linguacultural code.

The symbolism of the number four in the Chinese tradition has deep cosmological foundations. As V. V. Malyavin notes, the number four (四) lies at the heart of the traditional Chinese worldview, structuring space (the four cardinal directions), time (the four seasons), and sacred geography (the four sacred mountains, the four seas) [11, pp. 245, 247]. The philosophical understanding of the number four is reflected in the Confucian and Taoist traditions, where it is associated with the idea of the completeness and orderliness of the universe [10, pp. 156–162].

In modern Chinese culture, there is a strong tendency to avoid the numeric character 四 sì «"four" in everyday communication and sociocultural practices. This is manifested, in particular, in the peculiarities of floor numbering in buildings, where the number 4 is often replaced by euphemistic designations (3B, 3+1, etc.), as well as in the negative attitude towards car registration plates containing this component. This attitude is due to the specificity of the Chinese phonetic system: the character 四 sì «"four" is a homophone of the character 死 sǐ «"death," which creates a strong associative link between the number and ideas of death and misfortune. In the Chinese public consciousness, the number four is functionally comparable to the number thirteen in Western European cultural traditions, which is confirmed by the prevalence of tetraphobia—a culturally conditioned fear of this numerical component.

It is important to emphasize that the negative association of the number 四 with «death» is realized primarily at the level of an isolated lexeme. When this component is included in a set phraseological unit (chengyu), the mechanism of its perception changes. As A.A. Zalevskaya notes, in natural speech activity, linguistic units are perceived not in isolation, but as a whole. – through the actualization of situations, ideas and inferential knowledge associated with them [9, p. 25]. This suggests that in the internal lexicon of Chinese speakers, chengyu with the 四 component are stored and activated as integral units. However, as analysis of the material shows, the initial negative connotation of the numerical component is not always completely neutralized; in some cases, it persists and contributes to the overall meaning of the phraseological unit.

So in the chengyu 四分五裂 (split), 四面楚歌 (stalemate),
The negative connotations of 四海鼎沸 (trouble), 四体不勤 (slack-handed), 丢三落四 (scatterbrain) are clearly expressed, and the component "four" is an integral part of the negative image. Therefore, it is more accurate to speak not of the complete neutralization of the negative semantics of the number, but rather that the phraseological meaning overpowers the lexical homophony. However, the negative evaluative potential of the number can be preserved and used in language, which creates the effect of semantic ambivalence.

To clearly present the identified correspondences, we present the main phraseological parallels in the form of a summary table 2.

Table 2. Chinese phraseological units with numeric
component of 四

№	Chengyu (FE)	Meaning and Translation	Connotation	Match type
1.	四海为家 sì hǎi wéi jiā	«"Four seas become home" – feel at home everywhere; citizen of the world	neutral	partial equivalent
2.	四分五裂 sì fēn wǔ liè	«"Divided into four, torn into five" - not harmoniously; in disarray; chaotically	negative	partial equivalent
3.	四面楚歌 sì miàn chǔ gē	«"From the four sides of the song (principality) of Chu" - a hopeless situation	negative	partial equivalent
4.	四通八达 sì tōng bā dá	«"Connected in four directions, they reach eight" – in all directions	neutral	partial equivalent
5.	四平八稳 sì píng bā wěn	«"Four even, eight steady" - strong, reliable; sure	neutral / ironic	nonequivalent
6.	四面八方 sì miàn bā fāng	«"Four sides, eight directions" - from all sides, everywhere	neutral	partial equivalent
7.	四大皆空 sì dà jiē kōng	«"The four elements are all empty" - complete emptiness	neutral / philosophical	nonequivalent
8.	四下无人 sì xià wú rén	«"There are no people on all four sides" - not a soul around	neutral	partial equivalent
9.	四四方方 sì sì fāng fāng	«Four-four, square-square» - even, clear; (figurative) honest, correct	neutral	functional analogue
10.	四时八节 sì shí bā jié	«"Four seasons, eight holidays" - all year round	neutral	functional analogue
11.	四体百骸 sì tǐ bǎi hái	«"Four limbs, one hundred bones" – from head to toe, flesh and bones	neutral	functional analogue
12.	四海升平 sì hǎi shēng píng	«"The four seas rise to peace" - universal peace and prosperity; political stability	positive	functional analogue
13.	四海承风 sì hǎi chéng fēng	«"The Four Seas Accept the Teaching"» – everyone follows good morals/teachings	positive	functional analogue
14.	四海鼎沸 sì hǎi dǐng fèi	«"The Four Seas Cauldron is boiling" – turmoil, extreme political instability	negative	nonequivalent
15.	四书五经 sì shū wǔ jīng	«The Four Books and Five Classics (Confucian philosophy)	neutral	nonequivalent
16.	四角俱全 sì jiǎo jù quán	«"All four corners in place" - everything is in its place, complete harmony	neutral	functional analogue
17.	四荒八极 sì huāng bā jí	«"Four wastelands, eight limits" - at the edge of the world, in the farthest corners of the earth	neutral	nonequivalent
18.	四马攒蹄 sì mǎ cuán tí	«"Four horses are pulling their hooves together" - tied hand and foot, hopeless situation	neutral	nonequivalent
19.	四体不勤 sì tǐ bù qín	«"Four limbs make no effort" - white-handed	negative	nonequivalent
20.	四海九州 sì hǎi jiǔ zhōu	«"Four seas, nine regions" - all the lands of the Celestial Empire	neutral	partial equivalent
21.	四面受敌 sì miàn shòu dí	«"To be attacked by the enemy from all four sides" – to be subjected to all-round pressure, to be attacked from all sides	negative	partial equivalent
22.	四顾无人 sì gù wú rén	«"Look in all four directions - there are no people" - not a soul around	neutral	partial equivalent
23.	四战之地 sì zhàn zhī dì	«The Land of Four Battles is a strategically important place, a war zone	neutral	nonequivalent
24.	四邻八舍 sì lín bā shè	«"Four neighbors, eight houses" - the closest neighbors	neutral	functional analogue
25.	四衢八街 sì qú bā jiē	«"Four roads, eight streets" - a crossroads, a busy place	neutral	functional analogue
26.	四姻九戚 sì yīn jiǔ qī	«"Four matchmakers, nine relatives" - distant and close relatives	neutral	nonequivalent
27.	四序迁流 sì xù qiān liú	«"Four seasons follow each other" - the flow of time	neutral	functional analogue
28.	张三李四 zhāng sān lǐ sì	«"Zhang the third, Li the fourth" - someone; some people	neutral	functional analogue
29.	志在四方 zhì zài sì fāng	«"Four-way aspirations" – setting high goals and objectives in life	positive	nonequivalent
30.	丢三落四 diū sān là sì	«"Losing three, dropping four" - absent-minded and disorganized	negative	functional analogue
31.	低三下四 dī sān xià sì	«"Low third, lowered fourth" - servile, humiliated	negative	functional analogue

A comparative analysis of phraseological units with the numeral component "four" in Russian and Chinese reveals both universal and culture-specific features of their semantics and functioning. The results of the comparison are summarized in Table 3, which reflects the parametric differences between the two linguistic and cultural traditions.

Table 3. Universal and culturally specific characteristics of the numeral component "four" in Russian and Chinese phraseology

Matching parameter	Russian linguistic culture	Chinese linguistic culture
Cosmological symbolism	The four cardinal directions, the four seasons, and the four elements as elements of the traditional picture of the world	Four Seas, Four Directions, and Four Seasons as Structure-Forming Elements of Cosmology
Semantic dominant in the composition of phraseological units	Order, completeness, stability, integrity (sit within four walls, as two plus two makes four)	Spatial fullness, multiplicity, all-encompassingness (四海为家, 四面八方)
Negative connotations	Contextual, ironic, not assigned to a number as such; arise primarily in satirical contexts (fourth dimension, Ah, judge, judge: four floors, eight pockets!)	Systemic, caused by the homophony 四 / 死 (death); the phenomenon of tetraphobia at the level of an isolated lexeme; in the composition of phraseological units (四分五裂, 四面楚歌, 四体不勤)
Productive structural models	Folklore-game models with the opposition «four – eight» (four floors, eight pockets; four courtyards, eight streets)	Codified Chengyu Models with Parallelism 四…八… (四通八达, 四平八稳, 四面八方)
Availability of complete interlingual equivalents	None	None
Typological characteristics	The numerical component performs a predominantly symbolic function and is not burdened with persistent negative associations.	The numerical component combines cosmological symbolism with phonetically conditioned negative marking, creating the effect of semantic ambivalence.

As Table 3 demonstrates, despite the presence of a number of universal features (the connection of number with spatial and temporal ordering, use in stable formulas to express fullness and completeness), the Russian and Chinese phraseological systems exhibit fundamental differences in the nature of the functioning of the numerical component «four».

In Russian linguistic culture, the number "four" functions primarily as a symbol of order and integrity, free from persistent negative connotations. Even in cases of ironic or satirical use (cf.: fourth dimension, Ah, judge, judge: four floors, eight pockets!) the negative connotation is formed contextually and is not extrapolated to the numerical component as such. The inclusion of the number "four" in proverbs and sayings assigns it the semantics of a basis, a fundamentality (A house cannot be built without four corners.) or the dialectic of stability and chance (A horse has four legs, and even then it stumbles.).

In Chinese linguistic culture, the numeral component 四 is characterized by semantic ambivalence. On the one hand, it inherits traditional cosmological symbolism associated with ideas of completeness and all-encompassingness, which is reflected in chengyus such as 四海为家, 四面八方, and 四平八. On the other hand, its phonetic homophony with the character 死 "death" creates a persistent negative association, which, when used as an isolated lexeme, gives rise to the phenomenon of tetraphobia—a culturally conditioned avoidance of number in everyday practices (floor numbering, registration numbers, etc.). When incorporated into a phraseological unit, this negative connotation can be overpowered by the holistic meaning of the unit; however, as analysis of the material shows, it is not always completely neutralized. In the chengyus 四分五裂, 四面楚歌, 四体不勤, 丢三落四, 低三下四 the negative evaluation is preserved, and the number «four» acts as an organic component of the negative image.

The fundamental difference lies in the nature of negative marking: in Russian it is
contextual-pragmatic, arising in certain speech situations, whereas in Chinese it has
systemic-linguistic character, being fixed at the level of phonetic association and manifesting itself even beyond phraseology
(in everyday behavioral practices).

The differences identified have significant implications for translation practice and intercultural communication. Preserving the literal numerical component when translating Chinese chengyu into Russian is, in most cases, impractical because:

1. In the Russian language, there is no strong cultural association of the number "four" with death or misfortune;
2. Russian functional analogues often convey meaning without preserving numerical symbols;
3. The pragmatic effect of Chinese phraseological units, associated with the ambivalence of number, requires other means of expression in the Russian language.

In turn, when translating Russian phraseological units and proverbs with the component «four» into Chinese, it is necessary to take into account that preserving the numeric component 四 can introduce undesirable connotations associated with homophony, which will require either replacing it with another numeric component (for example, 八 «eight»), or using a descriptive translation, or updating the semantics of completeness and comprehensiveness inherent in the number 四 in the composition of chengyu.

Thus, the comparison allows us to conclude that, despite the formal coincidence of the numerical component, its functional and semantic potential is realized differently in Russian and Chinese phraseological systems, due to both the structural features of the languages and the specific cultural and symbolic systems. This conclusion deepens our understanding of the mechanisms of number conceptualization in phraseology and opens up prospects for further research in the fields of intercultural communication and translation studies.

 

Conclusion

The study showed that the numeral component "four" is a significant element of the linguistic and cultural code in Russian and Chinese, but its symbolic and axiological content differs significantly. In Russian linguistic culture, the number "four" is primarily associated with notions of integrity, spatial order, and norm. Negative or ironic connotations are not fixed to the number per se and arise contextually, which distinguishes the Russian tradition from the Chinese.

In Chinese linguistic culture, the numeral component 四 is characterized by semantic ambivalence: traditional cosmological symbolism of completeness and all-encompassingness coexists with a persistent negative connotation, conditioned by its phonetic-semantic association with the concept of death. This ambivalence manifests itself in various ways within phraseological units: in some chengyus, the holistic meaning overpowers the homophonic association, while in others, the negative connotation, representing situations of crisis, disintegration, and adversity, persists, forming an integral part of the figurative basis of the expression.

A comparative analysis confirmed the asymmetry of Russian and Chinese phraseological systems: despite the presence of functional and conceptual analogs, the numerical component in Russian is generally not preserved, whereas in Chinese it serves as an important carrier of cultural information. This allows us to consider the numerical component "four" as a marker of cultural specificity and a tool for the symbolic encoding of experience.

The practical significance of this study lies in the potential application of the findings in translation studies, intercultural communication, and the teaching of Russian and Chinese as foreign languages. The theoretical value of this work lies in its clarification of the role of numerical components as elements of the linguacultural code and in expanding our understanding of the nationally specific mechanisms of phraseological nomination.

Prospects for further research lie in verifying the findings using experimental methods. It seems advisable to conduct a series of associative experiments with native Russian and Chinese speakers aimed at identifying the actual connotative potential of the numeral component "four" both in isolated use and as part of phraseological units. Furthermore, an analysis of the functioning of numerative phraseological units in contemporary media discourse is relevant, allowing us to trace the dynamics of their semantics and pragmatics in real-life communication. An interdisciplinary approach combining cultural linguistics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive linguistics opens new perspectives for studying the numerical code of culture.

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