This article delves into the 36 characters to avoid in naming, and analyzes whether to use the Eight Characters (Ba Zi) or the Three Talents and Five Grades (Santai Wuge) when choosing a name. The characters to avoid in naming are often related to imbalance of the Five Elements, poor meanings, and conflicts with the zodiac signs; while when choosing a name, the Eight Characters focus on balancing the Five Elements of one's destiny, and the Three Talents and Five Grades emphasize the numerical luck, and combining both can result in a more suitable name.
What Are the 36 Most Forbidden Characters in Naming?
In traditional naming culture, certain characters are considered forbidden due to their Five Element properties, meanings, or character structure. Although there is no fixed "36-character" rule, from the perspectives of fortune-telling and culture, commonly forbidden characters can be summarized.Five Element Imbalance: For example, the character "炎" (yán), which belongs to the Fire element and has excessive fire energy. If the destiny already has sufficient fire energy, using this character may lead to an imbalance of the Five Elements, possibly affecting a person's impulsive and irritable personality, and causing an unbalanced fate. Similarly, the character "淼" (miǎo), which belongs to Water, if there is already too much water in the Eight Characters, using this character may exacerbate the water force, potentially leading to indecisiveness in behavior.
Poor Meaning: Characters like "凶" (xiōng), "灾" (zāi), and "厄" (è) have negative connotations and may give people negative psychological suggestions, which does not align with the purpose of naming for good fortune and happiness. Characters like "病" (bìng) and "殇" (shāng) should also be avoided in naming due to their unfavorable meanings.
Zodiac Conflicts: According to the zodiac preferences, for example, those born in the Year of the Tiger should avoid characters containing the "申" (shēn) or "猴" (hóu) radicals, as tigers and monkeys are in conflict. Those born in the Year of the Snake should avoid characters containing the "亥" (hài) or "猪" (zhū) radicals, as snakes and pigs are in conflict. For instance, the character "珅" (shēn) contains "申", which is unfavorable for those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Rare and Complex Characters: Characters like "叇" (dài) and "纛" (dào) have many strokes and unusual pronunciations. Not only do they bring inconvenience to life, but they may also cause problems in social interactions due to others' difficulty in recognizing them, which is not conducive to the spread and use of the name.
Should We Use the Eight Characters or the Three Talents and Five Grades When Naming?
When choosing a name, both the Eight Characters and the Three Talents and Five Grades have their advantages and disadvantages, and each focuses on different aspects.Eight Characters Naming: Based on the combination of the stems and branches of birth time, the Eight Characters analyze the strength and weakness of the Five Elements, and select characters corresponding to the required Five Elements to balance the destiny. For example, if the Eight Characters show weak Fire, we can choose characters belonging to Fire or Wood (since Wood generates Fire) to make the Five Elements flow smoothly. The Eight Characters focus on the individual's innate destiny, which can adjust the Five Elements at the root and have a long-term impact on the fortune, but it requires professional knowledge of fortune-telling and the analysis process is relatively complex.
Three Talents and Five Grades Naming: Based on the number of strokes in the name, it calculates the numerical luck of the Heaven, Humanity, Earth, Outer, and Total Characters, and judges the quality of the name based on the numerical luck. For example, if the Humanity Character has a lucky number, it implies smooth development in personal character and career. The Three Talents and Five Grades focus on the matching of numerical luck and name structure, which is simple and intuitive, easy to master, but overly relies on stroke numbers, which may ignore the Five Elements and meaning of the characters.
In summary, combining the Eight Characters and the Three Talents and Five Grades is a better approach. First, determine the required Five Elements based on the Eight Characters, select characters that match the required Five Elements and have good meanings. Then, use the Three Talents and Five Grades to check the numerical luck of the name and adjust the combination of characters, so that the name meets the requirements of destiny and has good numerical implications, achieving complementary strengths.
Q: Can I use a character with good meaning but unsuitable Five Elements when naming?
A: It is not recommended to use it alone. The core of naming is to balance the Five Elements of destiny. If a character's Five Elements conflict with the Eight Characters, even if its meaning is excellent, it may affect the fortune. You can consider pairing it with other characters with suitable Five Elements for balance, or choose another character that combines good meaning and appropriate Five Elements to ensure the name has a positive effect on the destiny.
Q: Do I have to change a name with bad numerical luck in the Three Talents and Five Grades?
A: Not necessarily. The numerical luck in the Three Talents and Five Grades is just one of the reference factors for naming. If the numerical luck is not good, but the Eight Characters are well-matched, the meaning is good, and the name has formed a personal aura after being used for many years, changing the name may cause adaptation issues. If the numerical luck is seriously bad and the name has not been used for long, it can be adjusted again in combination with the Eight Characters. If the overall luck is good but only some numerical values are not ideal, there is no need to change it, and you can improve the fortune by wearing auspicious items.
