Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 幸運 / 幸运 | xìngyùn |
| 福氣 / 福气 | fúqì |
| 福 | fú |
| 吉利 | jílì |
| 吉祥 | jíxiáng |
Chinese offers different terms for 'lucky' depending on whether you are describing a specific event, a person's character or an auspicious sign. 幸運 / 幸运 is used when referring to the occurrence of lucky events, such as a 幸运日 (lucky day) or 好运连连 (continuous good luck). 福氣 / 福气 is used to describe the quality of a person having a blessed or fortunate life or character. 吉利 is used for things like numbers, colors or words that are considered lucky in a superstitious sense, while 吉祥 is a term used to describe things that bring good omens. The single character 福 represents the broader concept of fortune, blessing or luck.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 幸運 / 幸运 is composed of 幸 (good fortune) and 運 (luck/movement).
Which one should you use?
幸運 / 幸运 refers to the occurrence of lucky events, whereas 福氣 / 福气 refers to the quality of having a blessed or fortunate life or character. For superstitious contexts, such as describing lucky numbers or colors, use 吉利. For formal or literary descriptions of auspiciousness and good omens, use 吉祥.
How do you pronounce it?
xìngyùn
When do people say it?
The character 福 represents fortune or luck and is a popular motif in decorations and calligraphy. During the Lunar New Year, it is common to see 福 displayed upside down on doors.
Did you know?
- During the Lunar New Year, people often paste the character 福 upside down on their doors. This is because the word for 'upside down' sounds similar to the word for 'arrived', creating a pun that means 'good fortune has arrived'.
- In some historical contexts, the character 福 was used as a playful or euphemistic substitute for a vulgar anatomical term. This created a strange irony where a word for great blessing looked like a taboo word.
- While 吉利 describes luck, it is often avoided in contexts involving death. Using 'lucky' terms in a funeral setting can be seen as deeply disrespectful or an omen of bad luck.
Examples in context
- 他非常幸运，赢了一百万美元。He was extremely lucky and won one million dollars.
- 祝你好运！Wishing you good luck!
- 我希望你每天都有好运。I hope you have good luck every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lucky” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 福, CC BY-SA 4.0.
