good luck, joy, congratulations

About this kanji

The kanji "吉" primarily means good luck or joy and is typically used as a noun. You might encounter it in several common compounds. For instance, "不吉" (ふきつ) means ominous, suggesting bad luck. Another example is "吉兆" (きっちょう), which refers to a lucky omen, something that hints at positive outcomes. "大吉" (だいきち) indicates excellent luck, often seen in fortune-telling contexts. In everyday use, it’s associated with celebrations and positive events. A notable note is that while it conveys favorable meanings, it's often best used in specific cultural contexts, like New Year celebrations or during auspicious events.

Example sentences

• 今日の運勢は吉だそうだ。

  Today's fortune is said to be good.

Meanings across languages

English

good luck, joy, congratulations

Tiếng Việt

may mắn, vui vẻ, chúc mừng

日本語

吉, 喜び, お祝い

한국어

행운, 기쁨, 축하

中文

好运, 欢乐, 祝贺

id

keberuntungan, kebahagiaan, selamat

th

โชคดี, ความสุข, แสดงความยินดี

es

buena suerte, alegría, felicitaciones

fr

bonne chance, joie, félicitations

de

Glück, Freude, Glückwunsch

pt

boa sorte, alegria, parabéns

Common compounds

• 不吉ふきつominous, sinister, unlucky
• 吉兆きっちょうlucky omen, good omen
• 英吉利イギリスUnited Kingdom, UK, Britain
• 成吉思汗ジンギスかんjingisukan, grilled mutton and vegetable dish, slotted dome cast iron grill (used for jingisukan)
• 大吉だいきちexcellent luck (esp. in fortune-telling)
• 吉報きっぽうgood news
• 吉祥天きっしょうてんSri-mahadevi (consort of Vaishravana)
• 吉凶きっきょうgood or bad luck, fortune