运气

• Pinyin: yùn qi
• Hanzi breakdown: 运 = 辶 (walk) + 云 (cloud), fate or destiny in motion; 气 = vapour/breath, vital energy or spirit

Meaning

Luck; fortune. The force of chance that brings good or bad outcomes, independent of effort or skill.

A widely used everyday concept. 好运气 means good luck, 坏运气 or 倒霉 means bad luck. 靠运气 means to rely on luck. The phrase 运气好 is used to comment on fortunate outcomes. In Chinese philosophy, fortune is also associated with 福 (blessing) and 命 (fate).

Examples

1. 他这次考试通过了，一半靠实力，一半靠运气，确实有些幸运。 He passed the exam this time — half skill, half luck, and he was indeed a bit fortunate.
2. 你今天运气真好，刚找到停车位就下起雨来，没淋到。 You were really lucky today: just as you found a parking spot, it started raining, and you didn't get wet.
3. 做生意不能只靠运气，扎实的准备和努力才是成功的根本。 You can't do business by relying on luck alone; solid preparation and hard work are the true foundation of success.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, colloquial

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 今天真是运气好，捡到了一百块钱！(What good luck today — I found a hundred yuan!)
• 别只靠运气，多下功夫才是正道。(Don't just rely on luck — putting in more effort is the right approach.)

Don't Say

• 将'运气'用于描述通过努力取得的成就 (Don't attribute effort-based achievements to 运气 — it implies chance rather than skill; say 靠实力 or 凭努力 when the result comes from hard work)

Origin & History

A compound of 运 (fate/fortune; 辶 movement + 云 cloud, conveying the idea of something carried along by forces) and 气 (spirit/energy). Together they suggest the energy or force that carries fortune along.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal