Which one should you use?
While glücklich can mean "lucky", it is more frequently used to express the emotion of being happy. To express that something was a stroke of luck, Germans often use the noun phrase ein Glück rather than the adjective glücklich.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use glücklich as a noun to refer to a specific lucky person, it must be capitalized and paired with an appropriate gendered article, such as der Glückliche for a man or die Glückliche for a woman. To express the state of being lucky, you can also use the verb phrase Glück haben.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡlʏklɪç/
When do people say it?
In German culture, several items are considered lucky charms: a Marienkäfer (ladybug), a Hufeisen (horseshoe) and a vierblättriges Kleeblatt (four-leaf clover). If you want to wish someone good luck, you can say Viel Glück! In sports or performances, it is common to use the idiomatic expression Hals- und Beinbruch! (literally "break your neck and leg!") as a way to wish someone good luck.
Did you know?
- Instead of calling someone a 'lucky person' with an adjective, Germans often use the cute noun Glückspilz, which literally translates to 'luck mushroom'.
- The German word for a ladybug, Marienkäfer, literally translates to 'Mary's beetle', linking the lucky insect to the Virgin Mary.
- The word glücklich is a cognate to the Yiddish word gliklekh, illustrating how the expression of luck and happiness is shared across these linguistic traditions.
Examples in context
- Wer ist die Glückliche?Who's the lucky girl?This sentence is useful for identifying a lucky woman using the capitalized form of glücklich.Tatoeba #3010351 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3002675 by Hybrid
- Wer ist der Glückliche?Who's the lucky guy?This sentence is useful for identifying a lucky man using the capitalized form of glücklich.Tatoeba #3010352 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3002676 by Hybrid
- Sie wurde glücklich geboren.She was born lucky.This sentence shows how to use glücklich to describe being born with good fortune.Tatoeba #1933543 by Ennocb, translation #693746 by qdii
- Ich wünsche Ihnen ein glückliches neues Jahr!I wish you a happy New Year!
- Du hast wirklich Glück gehabt, dass du die Prüfung bestanden hast!You were really lucky to pass the exam!
- Heute Abend habe ich Schwein, weil ich zwei Karten für das Konzert bekommen habe.I have good luck tonight because I managed to get two tickets to the concert.
- Viel Glück bei der Präsentation!Good luck with the presentation!
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are talking about a lottery ticket.
- JulianIch habe im Lotto gewonnen!I won the lottery!
- JuliaDas ist ja toll! Du bist echt glücklich.That is great! You are really lucky.
- JulianJa, ich kann es kaum glauben.Yes, I can hardly believe it.
- JuliaDu bist wirklich ein glückliches Kind.You really are a lucky person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lucky” translations and entries glücklich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries glücklich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
