幸いにも
saiwainimo
The English phrase 'luckily' can be translated into Japanese as 幸いにも (saiwainimo) or 運良く.
Meaning: in a lucky manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 幸いにも | saiwainimo |
| 運良く | unyoku |
Both terms are used to express that something happened in a lucky manner. 幸いにも is often used to express relief regarding a situation or a stroke of good fortune, while 運良く focuses more on the element of luck or chance itself.
Which one should you use?
幸いにも is more formal and is often used to express relief regarding a situation or a stroke of good fortune. In contrast, 運良く is more common in casual conversation and focuses more on the element of luck or chance (運) itself.
How do you pronounce it?
saiwainimo
Did you know?
- While 運良く means 'luckily', the word 運 also means 'transport' or 'carrying', reflecting an ancient belief that luck is something carried with a person.
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 運 (luck) is often viewed as a finite resource that can be 'used up' or 'improved' through specific actions like visiting a shrine.
- In very formal settings, 幸いにも can be used as a humble way to describe one's own success, attributing the result to external fortune rather than personal skill.
Examples in context
- 運良く彼は電車に間に合った。Luckily, he was on time for the train.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 運良く to describe making a train on time.Tatoeba #460369 by bunbuku, translation #26532 by Luornu
- 幸いにも渋滞していなかった。Luckily there wasn't a traffic jam.This sentence shows how 幸いにも can be used to describe the absence of a traffic jam.Tatoeba #13684193 by small_snow, translation #10515920 by sundown
- 幸いにも亡くなられた方はいません。Luckily nobody died.This sentence demonstrates using 幸いにも to express relief that no one died.Tatoeba #11555168 by small_snow, translation #3327617 by CK
- 幸運にも、私は試験に合格しました。Luckily, I passed the exam.
- ありがたいことに、雨が降らずにピクニックができました。Thankfully, we were able to have a picnic without rain.
- なんとか、間に合って列車に乗ることができました。Luckily, I managed to catch the train just in time.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Yota are talking about a rainy day.
- 陽葵 Himari急に雨が降ってきたね。Kyuu ni ame ga futte kita ne.It suddenly started raining, didn't it?
- 陽太 Yota幸いにも、僕は傘を持っていたよ。Saiwai ni mo, boku wa kasa o motte ita yo.Luckily, I had an umbrella.
- 陽葵 Himari本当？助かる！Hontou? Tasukaru!Really? That helps!
- 陽太 Yota一緒に駅まで行こうか。Issho ni eki made ikou ka.Shall we go to the station together?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “luckily” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
