吉祥物

• Pinyin: jí xiáng wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 吉 = 士 + 口 (auspicious); 祥 = 礻+ 羊 (spirit + sheep, auspicious omen); 物 = 牛 + 勿 (cattle + not, i.e. a thing)

Meaning

Mascot; lucky charm. A person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, or an official symbol representing an event or organisation.

Used for sports event mascots (Olympic mascots), brand mascots, and traditional lucky charms. 奥运吉祥物 (Olympic mascot) is a very common collocation. Also used metaphorically for someone who is considered a lucky symbol in a group.

Examples

1. 本届运动会的官方吉祥物是一只以传统神兽为原型设计的卡通形象，深受各年龄段观众的喜爱。 The official mascot for this year’s games is a cartoon character designed after a traditional mythical beast, and it’s loved by audiences of all ages.
2. 品牌吉祥物的设计需要兼顾文化内涵与市场吸引力，才能在消费者心中留下持久深刻的印象。 A brand mascot needs to balance cultural meaning with market appeal in order to leave a lasting, memorable impression on consumers.
3. 队员们开玩笑说他是全队的吉祥物，因为他在场的比赛几乎从未输过。 The players joke that he’s the team’s good-luck charm, because they almost never lose when he’s on the field.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, branding, culture

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 组委会面向全球征集本次世界博览会吉祥物的设计方案，最终从逾万份参赛作品中遴选出最具代表性的一件。(The organising committee solicited mascot design proposals for this World Expo from across the globe, ultimately selecting the most representative entry from over ten thousand submissions.)
• 这只憨态可掬的熊猫吉祥物一经发布便迅速成为社交媒体上的热门话题，相关周边产品销售火爆。(This adorable panda mascot immediately became a hot topic on social media upon release, with related merchandise selling briskly.)

Don't Say

• 他是我的吉祥 — use 他是我的吉祥物; 吉祥 alone is an adjective meaning auspicious, not a noun mascot

Origin & History

吉祥 (auspicious/lucky) + 物 (object/thing)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal