LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Lesson notes · Oct 2, 2026

Lucky in Japanese: ラッキー, 運うんがいい, ついてる and 縁起えんぎがいい

"Lucky" is ラッキー when you shout it, 運うんがいい when you describe someone, ついてる when you feel on a roll, and 縁起えんぎがいい when a thing is a good sign.

English uses one word for all of this. Japanese splits it into four jobs: a lucky moment, a lucky person, a lucky streak, and a lucky omen. Pick the wrong one and the sentence still makes sense, but it sounds slightly off. This article shows you which word fits which job, and how each one sounds in real conversation.

The basics

What is the most common way to say "lucky"?

ラッキー is the everyday word, and it is exactly the English "lucky!" in katakana. You say it the moment something good and unplanned happens.

ラッキー! 席せきが空あいてた。 — Lucky! There was a seat free. (casual, said on the spot) 今日きょうの弁当べんとう、おかずが多おおい。ラッキー。 — My lunch box has extra side dishes today. Lucky. (casual, to yourself)

It is a loanword, so it follows the same pattern as many other borrowed English words. Some of them, like ラッキー, keep the English meaning almost intact. Others drift far from it, which is covered in wasei-eigo: English words that aren't. ラッキー is one of the safe ones.

One limit: ラッキー is a reaction, not a description. You can say ラッキー! about a moment, but you do not use it to say "he is a lucky person." That is the next word's job.

How do you say "you're lucky" or "I was lucky"?

Use 運うんがいい (うんがいい), literally "the luck is good." Here 運うん means luck as a quality that a person or situation has.

運うんがいいね。 — You're lucky. (casual, a little envious) 今日きょうは運うんがよかったです。 — I was lucky today. (polite) あの人ひとは運うんがいい。 — That person is lucky. (neutral, describing someone)

The opposite is 運うんが悪わるい (うんがわるい), "bad luck":

運うんが悪わるかったね。 — That was bad luck. (casual, sympathetic) 運うんが悪わるい日ひもあります。 — There are also days with bad luck. (polite, general)

Notice the particle. In 運うんがいい, the luck (運うん) is the subject, so it takes が. You do not say 運うんをいい. Think of it as "luck is good," the same way you would say 天気てんきがいい for "the weather is nice."

What is the difference between ラッキー and 運うんがいい?

ラッキー reacts to a moment. 運うんがいい describes a person or a situation. Compare:

You want to say Use Why
"Lucky! The train came right away." ラッキー! A quick reaction
"You're so lucky." 運うんがいいね A comment on the person
"I was lucky to pass." 運うんがよかった An assessment of what happened
"What bad luck." 運うんが悪わるい The opposite assessment

A good test: if you could add an exclamation mark and say it out loud to nobody, it is ラッキー. If you are explaining something to someone, it is 運うんがいい.

What does ついてる mean?

ついてる (short for ついている) means "I'm on a roll" or "luck is with me right now." It comes from つく, to attach, so luck is literally "attached" to you at the moment.

今日きょうはついてるな。 — I'm on a roll today. (casual, to yourself) 信号しんごうが全部ぜんぶ青あおだった。ついてる! — Every light was green. I'm on a roll! (casual, reacting)

The opposite is ついてない:

ついてないなあ。 — Not my day. (casual, sighing) 財布さいふは忘わすれるし、雨あめは降ふるし、ほんとについてない。 — I forgot my wallet and it's raining. I really have no luck today. (casual, venting)

The difference from 運うんがいい: ついてる is about right now and a streak. 運うんがいい is a bigger, steadier claim about a person. If someone wins a prize once, they are ついてる. If they keep winning things for years, they are 運うんがいい人ひと.

Beyond the basics

How do you say "lucky" in formal or written Japanese?

幸運こううん (こううん) means "good fortune." You see it in writing, speeches and news, not in casual chat.

幸運こううんにも、けがはありませんでした。 — Luckily, there were no injuries. (formal, news style) ご幸運こううんをお祈いのりします。 — I wish you good luck. (formal, written)

幸運こううんにも at the start of a sentence is the formal cousin of ラッキーなことに. For a chat with a friend, ラッキーなことに or 運うんよく both sound more natural.

運うんよく、終電しゅうでんに間に合まにあった。 — Luckily, I made the last train. (neutral, storytelling)

運うんよく is the handy adverb. It slots into a story the way "luckily" does in English, and it works at any politeness level.

What do you say when things "worked out"?

This is where English "lucky" actually hides. Often you are not talking about luck at all. You are relieved, and Japanese uses a different word.

よかった means "I'm glad it turned out well."

間に合まにあってよかった。 — I'm glad I made it in time. (casual, relief) 無事ぶじでよかったです。 — I'm glad you're safe. (polite)

助たすかった means "that saved me" or "that was a lifesaver."

傘かさを貸かしてくれて助たすかった。 — Thanks for lending me an umbrella, you saved me. (casual, thanking) あー、助たすかった! — Phew, saved! (casual, relieved)

An English speaker might say "lucky me!" in both situations. Japanese prefers to name the feeling: gladness (よかった) or being rescued (助たすかった). If you translate "lucky me" every time, you will miss these two very natural options.

What does 縁起えんぎがいい mean, and how is it different from 運うんがいい?

縁起えんぎがいい (えんぎがいい) means "auspicious" or "a good omen." It is not about a result. It is about whether something is a sign of good things to come. The opposite is 縁起えんぎが悪わるい (えんぎがわるい), "ill-omened."

この数字すうじは縁起えんぎがいい。 — This number is auspicious. (neutral) それは縁起えんぎが悪わるいからやめて。 — That's bad luck, so please don't. (casual, a request)

The contrast with 運うん: 運うん is the luck itself, which happens to you. 縁起えんぎ is about signs and customs, things people believe bring luck or bad luck. You can be 運うんがいい (you won), but a thing is 縁起えんぎがいい (it is a good sign).

Some well-known examples of common belief, not rules anyone enforces strictly:

  • The number 4 and 9. 4 can be read し, which sounds like 死し (death), and 9 can be read く, which sounds like 苦く (suffering). Many people avoid these numbers, for example in room numbers and gift sets. For the readings of numbers in general, see Japanese numbers 1-100.
  • 招き猫まねきねこ (まねきねこ). The beckoning cat figure seen in shops is believed to invite customers and good fortune.
  • おみくじ (omikuji). Fortune slips at shrines and temples. 大吉だいきち (だいきち) is the best result, and 凶きょう (きょう) is the bad one.

おみくじで大吉だいきちが出でた! — I drew 大吉だいきち in my fortune slip! (casual, excited) 縁起えんぎがいいので、お店みせに招き猫まねきねこを置おいています。 — We keep a beckoning cat in the shop because it's auspicious. (polite, explaining)

Is luck the same as happiness in Japanese?

No, and this is a classic English trap. 運うん is luck. 幸しあわせ (しあわせ) is happiness. The old word 幸さいわい (さいわい) covers "fortunate" and sits between them. The kanji 幸さち shows up in both 幸運こううん and 幸しあわせ, which is why learners mix them up.

運うんがいい人ひとが、幸しあわせとは限かぎらない。 — A lucky person is not necessarily a happy one. (neutral, a common idea)

If you want the full set of words for happy, glad and delighted, see Japanese words for happy.

How is it different from "by chance"?

"Lucky" and "coincidence" are separate ideas. 偶然ぐうぜん and たまたま describe something happening by chance, with no judgment about whether it was good. 運うんがいい adds the judgment: it was good for you. The nuance between those two chance words is covered in たまたま vs 偶然ぐうぜん.

たまたま友ともだちに会あった。 — I happened to run into a friend. (neutral, no luck implied) たまたま友ともだちに会あえて、ラッキーだった。 — I happened to run into a friend, which was lucky. (casual, now it's a good thing)

And for the specific case of winning a draw or a raffle, the words are in lottery in Japanese.

What about fate?

運命うんめい (うんめい) means fate or destiny. It is the heavy cousin of 運うん: not a lucky break, but something that was meant to be. 運命うんめいの人ひと is the "destined one." Do not use it for a free seat on the train.

あれは運命うんめいだったのかもしれない。 — Maybe that was fate. (neutral, reflective)

If 運命うんめい feels too heavy, 縁えん, a bond that feels meant to be, is the gentler word, and fate in Japanese sets it against the grimmer 宿命しゅくめい, a fate you cannot escape.

How does it sound in anime?

Anime keeps things short and punchy, so you mostly hear the reaction forms:

ラッキー! — Lucky! (bright, a character spots something good) ついてねー… — Just my luck... (rough male speech, ない becomes ねー when someone is annoyed) 運うんがよかったな。 — You got lucky. (casual, often a rival or mentor speaking, can sound a little smug) あー、ついてない。 — Ugh, no luck at all. (casual, a character after bad news)

Two things to listen for. First, ね becoming ねー or ない becoming ねえ is a rougher, more masculine style, so ついてねー is not something to use in polite conversation. Second, 運うんがよかったな with that final な can be a warning: "you got lucky this time" suggests it won't happen again.

Common mistakes

  • Using ラッキー to describe a person. "He is lucky" is 彼かれは運うんがいい, not 彼かれはラッキー. ラッキーな人ひと exists but sounds more like "a lucky guy" in a joking way.
  • Saying 運うんをいい. Luck is the subject, so it is 運うんがいい.
  • Using 縁起えんぎがいい for a winning result. If you passed an exam, you are 運うんがよかった. An omen is a sign before the fact, not the outcome.
  • Translating "lucky me" every time. When something simply worked out, よかった or 助たすかった is more natural than ラッキー.
  • Using 幸運こううん in casual speech. 幸運こううんだった to a friend sounds like a newspaper. Use 運うんがよかった.
  • Treating 縁起えんぎ beliefs as law. These are common beliefs. Plenty of people ignore them, so state them as "many people think" and not as a rule everyone follows.

The luck ladder

Word Reading Feel Use it for
ラッキー — Casual, instant reaction A good moment
ついてる / ついてない ついてる Casual, "on a roll" A streak, right now
運うんがいい / 運うんが悪わるい うんがいい Neutral, all-purpose A person or a situation
運うんよく うんよく Neutral adverb "Luckily" in a story
幸運こううん こううん Formal, written News, speeches, wishes
縁起えんぎがいい / 縁起えんぎが悪わるい えんぎがいい Neutral, cultural Omens, numbers, charms
運命うんめい うんめい Serious, dramatic Fate and destiny

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair, and so are 5 and 6.

1. You find a free seat on a crowded train and react out loud to yourself. What do you say?

Show answer

ラッキー! — it is a quick reaction to a good moment, with no need to describe anyone.

2. A friend wins a prize and you want to say "you're lucky." What do you say?

Show answer

運うんがいいね — you are commenting on the person, so you need 運うんがいい, not just ラッキー.

3. Which particle goes in 運うん( )いい?

Show answer

が — luck is the subject, like 天気てんきがいい. 運うんをいい is wrong.

4. Everything is going your way today, and you mutter to yourself. Which word fits best?

Show answer

ついてるな — ついてる is about a streak right now, in a casual voice.

5. You missed the bus, forgot your umbrella, and it started to rain. Say "I have no luck today."

Show answer

今日きょうはついてない — ついてない is the casual opposite of ついてる, for a bad run right now. It pairs with question 4.

6. A news report says "luckily, nobody was hurt." Which word would the writer use?

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幸運こううんにも — 幸運こううん is the formal, written word. This contrasts with ついてない in question 5, which is casual speech.

7. Someone lends you an umbrella in the rain. Which word says "you saved me" rather than "lucky"?

Show answer

助たすかった — you are naming the feeling of being rescued, not luck itself.

8. Is 縁起えんぎがいい about the result or about a sign? Explain with an example.

Show answer

A sign. A beckoning cat (招き猫まねきねこ) is 縁起えんぎがいい because people believe it brings good things. Passing an exam is 運うんがよかった, because it is the result.

9. Which numbers do many people consider 縁起えんぎが悪わるい, and why?

Show answer

4 and 9 — 4 can be read し (like 死し, death) and 9 can be read く (like 苦く, suffering). This is a common belief, not a strict rule.

10. How is 運命うんめい different from 運うん?

Show answer

運命うんめい is fate, 運うん is luck. 運うん is a lucky break that happens to you. 運命うんめい is something felt as meant to be, like 運命うんめいの人ひと.

A trial lesson is a good place to shout ラッキー over a small win, call a friend 運うんがいい, and describe a charm or an omen as 縁起えんぎがいい.

FAQ

Is ラッキー polite enough for work? It is casual. With a colleague it is fine as a quick reaction, but with a client or boss switch to 運うんがよかったです or ありがたいです ("I'm grateful").

Can I say 運うんがいい about myself? Yes. 私わたしは運うんがいいほうです means "I'm on the lucky side." Some speakers soften it, because saying you are lucky can sound like bragging if you drop the 〜ほうです.

What is the difference between 運うんがいい and ついてる? 運うんがいい is a steady, general claim about a person or a situation. ついてる is about a moment or a streak. A single good day is ついてる. A lifetime of good breaks is 運うんがいい.

What do you say to wish someone luck? がんばってね and 幸運こううんを祈いのります are common. 幸運こううんを祈いのります is formal and written. In speech, がんばってください is the usual wish.

Does Japanese have "good luck" as one phrase? Not exactly. You wish someone success (がんばって) or luck with a specific thing (うまくいきますように, "I hope it goes well"). There is no single fixed phrase like English "good luck."

Is 大吉だいきち the same as saying "lucky"? It is the best fortune-slip result, so it is lucky in meaning. You say おみくじで大吉だいきちが出でた to report it. It is a result on a slip, so it is not used for general luck.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

ラッキー	らっきー — lucky (casual reaction)
運	うん — luck
運がいい	うんがいい — to be lucky
運が悪い	うんがわるい — to have bad luck
ついてる	ついてる — to be on a roll, to have luck
ついてない	ついてない — to have no luck today
運よく	うんよく — luckily
幸運	こううん — good fortune (formal)
縁起がいい	えんぎがいい — auspicious, a good omen
縁起が悪い	えんぎがわるい — ill-omened
よかった	よかった — I'm glad it worked out
助かった	たすかった — that saved me
幸せ	しあわせ — happiness
運命	うんめい — fate, destiny
招き猫	まねきねこ — beckoning cat
おみくじ	おみくじ — fortune slip
大吉	だいきち — best fortune
偶然	ぐうぜん — coincidence

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, since "how do I say lucky" comes up early in nearly every learner's first months. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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