운이 좋은
uni jo'eun
The English phrase 'lucky' is translated into Korean as 운이 좋은 (uni jo'eun). Wiktionary also lists 운수 좋은 (unsu jo'eun).
Meaning: of people, having good fortune (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 운이 좋은 | uni jo'eun |
| 운수 좋은 | unsu jo'eun |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 운이 좋은 is composed of 운 (luck), the particle 이 (subject marker) and 좋은 (the adjectival form of the verb 좋다, meaning good).
Which one should you use?
운이 좋은 is the standard way to express being lucky. In contrast, 운수 좋은 often carries a nuance of a specific period of good fortune or a particular stroke of luck.
How do you pronounce it?
uni jo'eun
Did you know?
- The phrase 운수 좋은 날 ('a lucky day') is the title of one of Korea's most famous short stories, but the story is actually a tragedy.
- The word 운수 is a homonym in Korean. While it can mean 'luck', it is also the common word for 'transportation' or 'shipping'.
- The word for luck, 운 (un), is also the same character used in the word for 'to move' or 'to circulate', suggesting that luck is viewed as a moving force rather than a static object.
Examples in context
- 저는 행운이 있어서 학교에서 장학금을 받았어요.I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship at school.
- 그는 복권에 당첨돼서 행운의 주인공이 되었다.He won the lottery and became the lucky winner.
- 그는 정말 운이 좋은 사람이에요.geuneun jeongmal uni joeun saramieyo.He is a really lucky person.
- 오늘 운이 좋은 것 같아요.oneul uni joeun geot gatayo.I think I am lucky today.
- 당신은 참 운이 좋은 사람이군요.dangsineun cham uni joeun saramigunyo.You are such a lucky person.
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are talking about a lottery winner they heard about on the news.
- 수빈 Su-bin그 복권 당첨된 사람 정말 운이 좋은 것 같아.geu bokgwon dangcheomdoen saram jeongmal uni joeun geot gata.That person who won the lottery seems really lucky.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아, 정말 운이 좋은 사람이네.maja, jeongmal uni joeun saramine.Right, he is a very lucky person.
- 수빈 Su-bin우리도 그런 운이 좋은 날이 오겠지?urido geureon uni joeun nari ogetji?A lucky day like that will come to us too, right?
- 민준 Min-jun그럼, 분명히 올 거야.geureom, bunmyeonghi ol geoya.Sure, it will definitely come.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lucky” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 운수, CC BY-SA 4.0.
