运气 (yùn qi) — luck | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

运气 (yùnqi) names the luck itself — good or bad — as a force or condition. 幸运 is more often an adjective ('lucky'), and 福气 is a lasting blessing rather than chance fortune.

noun

luck

Examples

运气。
Nǐ de yùn qi zhēn hǎo.
You're really lucky.
运气。
Tā zuì jìn yùn qi bù hǎo.
He hasn't been lucky lately.
运气。
Zhè cì kǎo shì quán kào yùn qi.
This exam all depends on luck.

Origin

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.

运yùnfortune

气qìvital energy

The fortune in 运 and the vital energy in 气 together name luck.

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 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòmotion

Sound part声符shēngfú

軍

軍jūn運yùn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →

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

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

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

Open 气 →