(yùn qì) - luck, fortune in Mandarin
yùnqìTraditional: 運氣
Translation
luck, fortune
Word origin
A compound of 运 (yùn, to move, fate) and 气 (qì, air, vital energy), the sense being the movement of the energy that carries a person's fortune.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 运 (yùn, fate, to move) + 气 (qì, air, energy)
Stroke order
运
气
Examples
。
My luck is not very good today.
。
He only found that job by luck.
。
It was all down to luck this time.
！
I hope your luck is in!
。
My luck has finally turned.
运气 is luck as a countable stroke of fortune or a running state of affairs: 运气好 (lucky), 运气不好 (unlucky), 碰运气 (to chance it). It sits comfortably in casual speech.
Do not confuse it with 幸运, which is an adjective meaning fortunate: 我很幸运 (I am lucky), not 我很运气. If you want a verb-like construction, use 运气好 or 走运 instead.
A neat idiom to bank early: 碰碰运气 means to try your luck, and 靠运气 means to rely on luck rather than effort, usually with a hint of disapproval.
Where this fits
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运气: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "运气" (luck, fortune): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 42.