吉利 (jí lì) — auspicious, lucky

Definition

吉利 is an adjective for auspicious, lucky occasions or things (a date, a color, words). Compared to 幸运 (personal luck) and 吉祥 (formal/decorative, like 吉祥物), 吉利 is the everyday spoken choice.

adjective
auspiciouslucky
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，吉利。
    Guò nián de shí hou, dà jiā dōu xǐ huan shuō jí lì de huà.
    During the New Year, everyone likes to say auspicious words.
  • 吉利。
    Zhè jiā diàn kāi zhāng xuǎn le gè jí lì de rì zi.
    This shop chose an auspicious day to open.
  • 吉利。
    Hóng sè zài zhōng guó rén yǎn lǐ shì hěn jí lì de yán sè.
    Red is a very lucky color in the eyes of Chinese people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

吉jílucky
利lìsmooth

吉 means lucky and 利 means smooth or profitable, together giving an auspicious sense.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the earliest forms, 吉 was drawn with a mouth-like lower part and an upper part that later became today's upper shape.

Open 吉 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Chinese Culture & Customs

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