حَظّ
ḥaẓẓ
The English word luck is translated into Arabic as حَظّ (ḥaẓẓ). Wiktionary also lists بَخْت (baḵt).
Meaning: something that happens to someone by chance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| حَظّ | ḥaẓẓ |
| بَخْت | baḵt |
Luck in Arabic can be expressed through several words depending on the nuance. The standard term for luck is حَظّ. To say 'good luck', you combine the noun with the adjective for happy or good to get حَظّ سَعيد and to say 'bad luck', you combine it with the adjective for bad to get حَظّ سَيِّئ. Additionally, the word بركة primarily means blessing, but it is also used to convey the idea of good luck.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, luck is commonly expressed as حظ. In Levantine Arabic, the word نصيب is used to convey the concept of luck as well as destiny.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the word حَظّ possessive by adding the suffix 'ī' (ي) to the end, resulting in حَظّي, which means 'my luck'.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥaẓẓ
Did you know?
- In many Arabic cultures, saying 'good luck' can sometimes be seen as tempting fate. To avoid this, people often say إن شاء الله ('if God wills') alongside or instead of wishing for luck.
- The word بَخْت for luck is common in Egyptian Arabic and is believed by some linguists to have roots in ancient Persian. It differs from the standard حَظّ by carrying a stronger connotation of fate or fortune.
- In some dialects, a person with 'bad luck' is described as having a 'heavy' fate. This uses the concept of weight to describe the oppressive feeling of persistent misfortune, rather than using a simple adjective like 'bad'.
Examples in context
- أتمنى لك حظًا سعيدًا في المشروع الجديد.I wish you good luck in your new project.
- إن شاء الله الأمور ستسير على نحو جيد، بالتوفيق!If God wills it, things will go well. Good luck!
Example conversation
Ziyad and Noor are talking about a prize.
- زياد Ziadلقد فزت بالجائزة يا نور!Laqad fuzti bil-ja'iza ya Noor!You won the prize, Noor!
- نور Nourنعم، هذا مجرد حَظّ.Na'am, hadha mujarrad hazz.Yes, this is just luck.
- زياد Ziadأنتِ محظوظة حقاً.Anti mahzuza haqqan.You are truly lucky.
- نور Nourشكراً لك يا زياد.Shukran laka ya Ziyad.Thank you, Ziyad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “luck” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
