抽獎 / 抽奖
chōujiǎng
In Chinese, the English phrase "lottery" can be translated as 抽獎 / 抽奖 (chōujiǎng), 抽彩 or 樂透 / 乐透.
Meaning: scheme for the distribution of prizes by lot or chance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 抽獎 / 抽奖 | chōujiǎng |
| 抽彩 | chōucǎi |
| 樂透 / 乐透 | lètòu |
Use 抽獎 / 抽奖 to refer to a prize draw or a raffle, such as a lucky draw at a party or a promotional activity in a store. The term 彩票 is specifically used for a lottery in formal contexts, where the characters mean "colorful" and "ticket" respectively.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 抽獎 (chōujiǎng) is composed of 抽, meaning to draw or extract and 獎, meaning prize or reward.
Which one should you use?
抽獎 / 抽奖 is used for promotional activities, such as a raffle at a store or a lucky draw at a party. In contrast, 彩票 is the more formal term for a lottery and 樂透 / 乐透 is a casual term used for the lottery.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 樂透 / 乐透 is used as a casual term for "lottery". In Hong Kong and other regions influenced by Cantonese, 六合彩 refers specifically to the Hong Kong Mark Six lottery.
How do you pronounce it?
chōujiǎng
Did you know?
- The term 樂透 / 乐透 is a phonetic approximation of the English word 'lotto', rather than a translation of the concept's meaning.
- In Hong Kong, the phrase 六合彩 (Mark Six) literally translates to 'six-harmony lottery', reflecting a cultural preference for numerology and balance.
- The character 獎 in 抽獎 / 抽奖 is shared with the word for 'award' or 'scholarship', linking the idea of luck with the idea of merit.
Examples in context
- 在这个城市，彩票购买点随处可见。In this city, lottery purchase locations are everywhere.
- 希望明天能中奖，买辆新车。I hope to win the lottery tomorrow and buy a new car.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lottery” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 樂透, CC BY-SA 4.0.
