手气 (shǒu qì) — luck (in gambling, games, or competitive chance…

Definition

Refers specifically to one's run of luck in games, gambling, or lotteries — not general fortune (which is 运气).

noun

luck (in gambling, games, or competitive chance-based activities)

手气，。
Wǒ jīn tiān shǒu qì bú tài hǎo, dǎ má jiàng shū le hěn duō.
My luck today isn't very good — I lost a lot playing mahjong.
手气，。
Nǐ shǒu qì zhēn hǎo, dì yī cì mǎi cǎi piào jiù zhòng jiǎng le.
Your luck is great — you won the lottery on your very first ticket.
，手气。
Bié huī xīn, shǒu qì zǒng shì huì biàn de.
Don't lose heart; luck always changes.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

手 (hand) and 气 (luck) combine to mean the luck shown in one's hand.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in