ご武運を
gobuun o
The English phrase God speed is expressed in Japanese as ご武運を (gobuun o).
This phrase is used specifically to wish someone success and safety in a struggle, a battle or a high-stakes endeavor, rather than as a general way to say "good luck".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the polite prefix go, the noun buun meaning military luck or fortune in battle and the particle o which marks the object of an implied verb such as "to pray for".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expression has a formal, somewhat dramatic or archaic tone. It is often found in historical contexts, fiction involving warriors or highly serious situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is often used as an elliptical expression where the verb inoru (to pray) is omitted. A full version of the phrase would be ご武運を祈る, meaning "to pray for your military luck".
How do you pronounce it?
gobuun o
Did you know?
- The word 武 in ご武運を refers specifically to the 'way of the warrior', meaning the phrase is conceptually tied to the code of the samurai rather than a general religious concept of 'god'.
- In modern Japanese media like anime or video games, characters often use ご武運を to signal that a journey or a mission is officially irreversible and potentially fatal.
- If you were to use this phrase in a modern setting, it would immediately cast you as a person speaking in a 'samurai' or historical persona, rather than a contemporary citizen.
Examples in context
- ご武運を祈ります。Go buun o inorimasu.I pray for your good luck in battle.
- 戦場でのご武運を。Senjou de no go buun o.May good fortune be with you on the battlefield.
- 君のご武運を祈っているよ。Kimi no go buun o inotte iru yo.I am praying for your success in the fight.
Example conversation
Kenta is leaving for a challenging new job in another city.
- 結衣 Yui健太さん、頑張ってくださいね。Kenta-san, ganbatte kudasai ne.Good luck, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう。全力でやってみるよ。Arigatou. Zenryoku de yatte miru yo.Thanks. I'll give it my all.
- 結衣 Yui心からご武運をお祈りしています。Kokoro kara gobuun o oinori shite imasu.I sincerely wish you godspeed.
- 健太 Kenta心強いよ。行ってくるね。Kokorozuyoi yo. Ittekuru ne.That's encouraging. I'm off now.
