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侥幸 (jiǎo xìng) — (adjective) lucky (with implication of relying on chance rather than effort); by a fluke

Definition

侥幸 highlights luck that saved you from a bad outcome — often with a hint that you didn't earn it. Unlike 幸运 (general good fortune), it implies narrow escape or chance rather than merit.

adjective
lucky (with implication of relying on chance rather than effort)by a fluke

Examples

  • 侥幸，。
    Tā jiǎo xìng tōng guò le miàn shì, dàn miàn shì guān shuō tā qí shí biǎo xiàn yì bān.
    He passed the interview by a fluke, but the interviewer said his performance was actually average.
  • 侥幸，。
    Bié zǒng bào zhe jiǎo xìng de xīn tài, hái shì hǎo hǎo zhǔn bèi ba.
    Don't always rely on a fluke mentality — you'd better prepare well.
  • ，侥幸。
    Zhè chǎng huǒ zāi zhōng, tā jiǎo xìng duǒ guò yì jié.
    In the fire, he narrowly escaped by a stroke of luck.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

侥jiǎolucky
幸xìnglucky

侥 and 幸 both carry the sense of luck, so 侥幸 describes a lucky fluke.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 僥; 侥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénhuman
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo僥
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 僥 has 亻, meaning human, beside 堯, which gives the sound; the simplified 侥 is a later shorthand.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 幸 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Gambling & Chance

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