幸

Glyph origin
. Original meaning is unclear. 羊 often appears as a component with a positive meaning. See 祥, 善 and 義.

 interprets it as an – lucky to be alive; fortunate.

Definitions

 * 1) by fluke; lucky
 * 2) fortunate; lucky
 * 3) luckily; fortunately
 * 4) to rejoice
 * 5)  to hope; to wish
 * 6)  to personally visit
 * 7)  to favour; to dote on
 * 1)  to hope; to wish
 * 2)  to personally visit
 * 3)  to favour; to dote on
 * 1)  to favour; to dote on

Synonyms




Compounds

 * 射幸心
 * 薄幸

Etymology 1
→ →

From. The kan'on, so a later borrowing.

Noun

 * 1) good luck, good fortune; happiness
 * 2) an appearance by the emperor or a retired emperor

Usage notes
The good fortune and happiness senses are generally considered as overlapping.

Etymology 3
→ →  →  →

Derived from sakiwai below.

More often spelled as with the final  to indicate the reading.

Adjective

 * 1) very fortunate and happy, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
 * 2) favorable, ideal

Adverb

 * 1) fortunately, luckily, happily

Usage notes
When used as an adverb without a particle, this term usually comes at the start of the sentence. It also appears used with advervial particles and, or, perhaps more commonly, in an adverbial construction as 幸なことに.

Noun

 * 1) very good fortune and happiness, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
 * 2) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
 * 3)  the tail and back fins of a carp or other fish, as used in cooking

Etymology 4
→ →  →

The of verb, itself a compound of  + ,.

Noun

 * 1)  an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
 * 2)  good luck or good fortune itself

Usage notes
Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above.

Etymology 5
From. Possibly cognate with from the idea of [favorable] future. Possibly also related to sachi / satsu below.

Noun

 * 1)  good luck, good fortune; happiness
 * 大夫能 許己呂於毛保由 於保伎美能 美許登佐吉乎 聞者多布刀美
 * 大夫の 心思ほゆ 大君の 御言の幸を 聞けば貴み
 * ますらをの こころおもほゆ おほきみの みことのさきを きけばたふとみ
 * Masurawo no | kokoro omohoyu | Ohokimi no | mikoto no saki wo | kikeba tafutomi
 * “Such manliness of spirit is brought to mind. How noble to hear of the happiness / good fortune of the words of the emperor...”
 * “Such manliness of spirit is brought to mind. How noble to hear of the happiness / good fortune of the words of the emperor...”

Usage notes
The good fortune and happiness senses are generally considered as overlapping.

Saki in this sense appears to be obsolete in modern Japanese.

Etymology 6
→ →  →

The of verb, itself a compound of 幸 (sachi below, “good fortune, happiness”) + ,.

Noun

 * 1)  an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
 * 2)  good luck or good fortune itself

Usage notes
Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above. In historical Japanese, sachiwai appears to be a rarer variant of sakiwai above.

Etymology 7
From. Possibly cognate with 🇨🇬. Possibly also related with saki above.

The kanji may have originally been applied to this word for the source Chinese term's associations with good fortune.

This is the standalone form of satsu below.

Adjective

 * 1) very fortunate and happy

Noun

 * 1)  a hunting implement; the spirit of a hunting implement
 * 2) a bounteous catch, amply caught game ; food
 * 3) good fortune, good luck; happiness

Etymology 8
From. Possibly cognate with 🇨🇬. Possibly also related with saki above.

The kanji may have originally been applied to this word for the source Chinese term's associations with good fortune.

This is the bound form of sachi above. This form is only ever used in compounds. Possibly the original form.

Prefix

 * 1)  hunting, for hunting