幸運

こううん

good luck, fortune

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"幸運" (こううん) means "good luck" or "fortune" and is used to express positive chance events or favorable outcomes. It is a noun often used in both formal and informal contexts.

Common Collocations

  • 幸運にも (こううんにも): "luckily" or "fortunately," used to emphasize a fortunate event.
  • 幸運を祈る (こううんをいのる): "to wish someone good luck," a common phrase in conversations or messages.
  • 幸運なことに (こううんなことに): "fortunately," used to introduce a positive circumstance.

Usage Notes

When using 幸運, speakers imply a positive outcome influenced by chance rather than effort. It is often used in contexts like winning, avoiding trouble, or wishing success. Be careful not to confuse 幸運 with 運 (うん), which is a more general term for luck and can be used in casual speech. 幸運 has a slightly more formal or literary tone.

Example Contexts

  • Talking about winning a prize or lottery.
  • Wishing someone success before an event.
  • Describing fortunate circumstances in storytelling or reports.

Example Sentences

かれはこううんにもたからくじにあたった。

He was lucky enough to win the lottery.

こううんをいのっています。

I wish you good luck.

こううんなことに、あめはふらなかった。

Fortunately, it did not rain.