Meaning
好运
hǎo yùn
Good luck
- 好
- good
- 运
- luck, fortune
The everyday phrase for good luck.
Luck in Chinese
The Chinese word for luck is 好运 (hǎo yùn). The everyday phrase for good luck. In traditional characters it is written 好運.
好运
hǎo yùn
Luck
What 好运 means.
好运 is good luck in everyday speech, as in 祝你好运, “good luck to you”. 吉 is the classical character for auspicious, as in 吉祥.
- 好
- good
- 运
- luck, fortune
Simplified and traditional
好运
好運
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 好運 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 好运 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
吉
jí
Auspicious
- 吉
- lucky, auspicious
A single character for luck and good omens.
About luck in Chinese
How do you write luck in Chinese?
Luck is 好运 in Chinese, pronounced hǎo yùn. Good luck 好 means “good”, 运 means “luck, fortune”.
How do you pronounce 好运?
Say hǎo (third tone, dipping), yùn (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 好运 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 好運, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 好运 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean luck?
吉 (jí): Auspicious A single character for luck and good omens.
Is 好运 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.