may mắn
[maj˧˧ man˧˦]
The English word 'lucky' is translated into Vietnamese using may mắn, may or hên.
Meaning: of people, having good fortune (adj)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| may mắn | [maj˧˧ man˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [maj˧˧ maŋ˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| may | [maj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [maj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| hên | [hen˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [hen˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
The term may mắn is used to describe people who have good fortune. Depending on the sentence structure, may mắn can function as an adjective meaning 'lucky' or as a noun meaning 'luck'.
Which one should you use?
may mắn is the standard and more formal way to express being lucky. In contrast, hên is a colloquial and informal way to say 'lucky' that is often used in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
While may mắn is an adjective, the single word may is frequently used in the specific phrase gặp may to mean 'to be lucky' or 'to encounter luck'.
Did you know?
- The informal term hên is actually a loanword from the Teochew dialect of Chinese, specifically from the word 興.
- The word hên is frequently used in the context of gambling and lottery, whereas may mắn is used for life achievements.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy chỉ gặp may thôi.He's just lucky.This sentence shows how to use may to express that someone is lucky.Tatoeba #9012841 by dotheduyet1999, translation #8480249 by CH
- Chúng tôi đã rất may mắn.We were very lucky.This sentence illustrates the use of may to describe a past state of being lucky.Tatoeba #11442291 by chaule3, translation #4494946 by CK
- Anh ấy là một người rất may mắn.He's a very lucky man.This sentence demonstrates how to use may to describe a person as lucky.Tatoeba #5758814 by yippe, translation #4010301 by Hybrid
- Tôi được gặp bạn, thật may mắn!I'm lucky to meet you!
- Tôi thần tượng ca sĩ này, thật là may mắn!I admire this singer, I'm so lucky!
- Nhờ may mà tôi không trễ hẹn!Thanks to luck, I wasn't late!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Hùng are talking about winning a prize.
- MaiHùng thật may mắn khi thắng giải!Hùng is so lucky to win the prize!
- HùngTôi cũng nghĩ như vậy, Mai ạ.I think so too, Mai.
- MaiBạn có bí quyết gì không?Do you have any secrets?
- HùngKhông, tôi chỉ là người may mắn thôi.No, I'm just a lucky person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lucky” translations and entries may mắn, may, hên, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hên, may, may mắn, mắn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
