Chinese number gestures 汉字数字手势 refers to the Chinese method of using
one hand to signify the natural numbers one through ten. This method
may have been developed to bridge the many dialects in spoken Chinese–
for example, the numbers 4 (Chinese: 四; pinyin: sì) and 10 (Chinese:
十; pinyin: shí) are hard to distinguish in some dialects. Some suggest
that it was also used by businessmen during bargaining (i.e. to convey
a bid by feeling the hand gesture in a sleeve) when they wish for more
privacy in a public place. ChineseHour tells you more in details so
that you can speak Chinese and make gestures at the same time.
Methods
While the five digits on one hand can easily express the numbers one
through five, six through ten have special signs that can be used in
commerce or day-to-day communication. The predominant [citation
needed] system is as follows:
In Taiwan and Hong Kong
In Taiwan and Hong Kong, signs for numbers differ significantly from
those described above. The symbol for 7 has an alternate meaning, and
the symbol for 9 above, also described as such in Lonely Planet,
actually means “death”. The signs used in Taiwan are as follow:
Six - As above, the little finger and thumb are extended. ...