好彩
hou2 coi2
The Cantonese word for lucky is 好彩 (hou2 coi2).
好彩 is an adjective used to describe a person's state of fortune or a specific fortunate event.
Meaning: of people, having good fortune (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 好 (hou2), meaning 'good' and 彩 (coi2), meaning 'luck' or 'color/fortune'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express being unlucky, you can use the negative form 唔好彩 (m4 hou2 coi2).
How do you pronounce it?
hou2 coi2
Did you know?
- In Hong Kong, people often avoid saying 唔好彩 ('unlucky') during celebratory events like weddings or Lunar New Year to prevent 'inviting' bad luck into the room.
- People may use 好彩 as an interjection meaning 'thank goodness' or 'whew' when narrowly avoiding a disaster, rather than just describing a positive state.
- If you want to say someone has 'great luck', you might say they have '好彩頭' (hou2 coi2 tau4), adding the word for 'head' or 'beginning'.
Examples in context
- 佢覺得自己好好彩。He considered himself lucky.This sentence is useful for describing a person who considers themselves lucky using 好彩.Tatoeba #6318073 by kaenif, translation #298888 by CK
- 阿Tom就冇咁好彩喇。Tom hasn't been so lucky.This sentence shows how to express that someone has not been so lucky using 好彩.Tatoeba #5734920 by nickyeow, translation #3023735 by CK
- 我好好彩，搵到一個好嘅保姆。I was lucky that I was able to find a good babysitter.This sentence illustrates how to describe a fortunate event, such as finding a good babysitter, using 好彩.Tatoeba #526538 by nickyeow, translation #325824 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a recent lottery draw at a cafe.
- 志強 Chi Keung你今次中咗獎，真係好彩。nei5 gam1 ci3 zung3 zo2 zoeng2, zan1 hai6 hou2 coi2.You won the prize this time, you are really lucky.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，我覺得自己好彩。hai6 aa3, ngo5 gok3 dak1 zi6 gei2 hou2 coi2.Yes, I feel very lucky.
- 志強 Chi Keung我都想好彩一次。ngo5 dou1 soeng2 hou2 coi2 jat1 ci3.I want to be lucky once too.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting下次你一定會好彩㗎。haa6 ci3 nei5 jat1 ding6 wui5 hou2 coi2 gaa3.You will definitely be lucky next time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
