LUCK    機遇福／幸

GOOD BECAUSE IT CAUSES CONTINGENT PROFIT.
FORTUNATEIN LUCKBLESSEDFAVOREDBORN UNDER A LUCKY STARCHARMEDSUCCESSFULPROSPEROUS
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The dominant general word for good fortune is fú 福 (ant. huò 禍 "misfortune"), and the dominant general word for good luck is xìng 幸 (ant. yāng 殃 "misfortune"). 2. Lù 祿 and the rare xiū 休 / 庥 are elevated and archaising words referring to blessings from Heaven. 3. Zuò 祚 is a very elevated and archaising word referring to blessings from Heaven as given to states or great clans and the like. 4. Yù 裕 (ant. fá 乏 "shortage sent down by Heaven") is an elevated word referring to abundant blessings from Heaven.
Modern Chinese Criteria
福氣 is the current modern word for good luck. 幸福 focusses on the fortuitousness of good luck. 福分 focusses on the preordained nature of good fortune. 福運 focusses on the fortuitousness of good luck. 造化 focusses on the inscrutability of good luck 福 is a current and general literary word for good fortune. 祜 is an obsolescent word for good luck. 祉 is an obsolete word for good luck. 祚 is an obsolete word for good luck. 福祉 is a highly literary word for good fortune. 鴻福齊天 is a proverbial hyperbolic expression for good fortune. 福份 (lit) refers to a good luck as part of one's fate. rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Hyponym
  • AUSPICIOUS　Of LUCKY OMEN. (anc: 7/0, child: 0)
  • FORTUNATELY　LUCK CAUSING SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. (anc: 7/0, child: 0)
  • FORTUNA　LUCK PERSONIFIED (anc: 7/0, child: 0)
Antonym
  • DISASTEREVENT that CAUSES HUMANS to BECOME INTENSELY SAD OR to GRIEF:grieve.
See also
  • HAPPYCOMPLETELY DELIGHTED with one's SELF:own LIFE.
Hypernym
  • GOOD　EXCELLENT in VIRTUE OR in IMPORTANT SKILL. (anc: 5/0, child: 6)
  • EXCELLENT　FEATURE BECAUSE of which SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IS OR SHOULD BE PREFERRED to OTHERS (anc: 4/0, child: 11)
  • FEATURE　ABSTRACT OBJECT a THING is SAID to BE OR to HAVE. (anc: 3/0, child: 19)
  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 16.18

  • Lateinische Synonymik ( MENGE) p. 138

  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 833

    福，祿

    1. The antonym of fu2 福 "good fortune" is huo4 禍 "stroke of bad fortune, misfortune". The traditional rationalising gloss 爵命為福，賞賜為祿 is not relevant to most usages of the word and certainly not helpful for the interpretations of the texts where the words occur. HF is much earlier and certainly more relevant to current Warring States usage:

    HF 20.10:03; jishi 341; jiaozhu 188; shiping 615

    全壽富貴之謂福。 Achieving a full measure of long life, wealth and nobility is called good fortune.

    Wa2ng Cho21ng has an important explanation:

    LH 2; Liu 1990:10; Beida1979:22; Yang 1999:12; Zheng 1999: 209; Guizhou 1993: 21; Hunan 1997: 11; tr. Forke 2.37

    禍福之至， The arrival of happiness and misfortune,

    幸不幸也。 is a matter of good or bad luck.

    故曰： Therefore it is said:

    得非己力， Because one gets good fortune not through one's own efforts

    故謂之福； therefore good fortune is called good fortune;

    來不由我， because misfortune comes not from oneself

    故謂之禍。 therefore misfortune is called misfortune.

    2. The definition of fu2 福 as lu4 祿 is fair enough when lu4 祿 refers to blessings from Heaven, but even then the difference remains that fu2 福 refers to either a fortunate outcome, or a state of comfortable good fortune which are on occasion construed as the result of one's own actions, whereas lu4 祿 are apparently always blessings construed as coming from Heaven unaffected by human action. Re2n jie1 qiu2 fu2 人皆求福, but when one ga1n lu4 干祿 what one seeks is an official stipend that goes with public employment, not good fortune as such.

  • Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography ( ROBERTS 1998) p. 337

    FORTUNA

    • Words (35 items)

    福  fú OC: pɯɡ MC: puk 77 Attributions

    The dominant general word for good fortune is fú 福 (ant. huò 禍 "misfortune"), and the dominant general word for good luck is xìng 幸 (ant. yāng 殃 "misfortune").

      Word relations
    • Ant: 凶/INAUSPICIOUS The current general word for what is of no good omen is xiōng 凶 (ant. jí 吉).
    • Ant: 咎/DISASTER
    • Ant: 災 / 菑/DISASTER Zāi 災 refers to a natural disaster, typically sent down by Heaven.
    • Ant: 禍/DISASTER The most common general word for disasters is huò 禍 (ant. fú 福 "good fortune") which has no connotations of any metaphysical kind. (In OBI the character currently transcribed as huò 禍 - and closely related to 占 - refers not only to disasters as such, but particularly to disastrous omens.)
    • Ant: 殃 / 央/DISASTER Yāng 殃 always refers to major natural disasters, often construed as causes by human misdemeanour, or by a failure to take preventive action.
    • Epithet: 吉/AUSPICIOUS The general term is jí 吉 (ant. xiōng 凶 "inauspicious") and refers to any natural phenomenon or supposed supernatural response that is of good omen, in an everyday almost secular way.
    • Contrast: 功德/MERIT
    • Assoc: 佑 / 祐/LUCK
    • Assoc: 善/GOOD The general term for positive appraisal of any kind in Chinese is shàn 善 (ant. è 惡 "bad").
    • Assoc: 祐/BLESS
    • Assoc: 祿/LUCK Lù 祿 and the rare xiū 休/庥 are elevated and archaising words referring to blessings from Heaven.

      Syntactic words
    • nab.adNfortunateLZ
    • nab.post-V{NUM}kind of good fortune
    • nabeventfortunate outcome of an undertaking; fortunate turn of events; happy outcome
    • nabstativeblessings (from Heaven or the ancestors); good fortune sent from above; fortunate circumstances
    • vibe lucky; bring luck
    • vtoNcausativecause to be fortunate
    • vtoNcausativecause (oneself) to be happy
    幸  xìng OC: ɢreeŋʔ MC: ɦɣɛŋ 30 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabmetaphysicalluck, good fortune; a stroke of good luck
    • vadNlucky, what is a matter of luck only
    • vadVas a matter of good fortune, by the grace of the ruler; by a stroke of good luck
    • viZZ 1152: be fortunate, be lucky
    • vigraded甚幸(of things) be a matter of good luck; be a a matter of pure luck; (of persons) have a stroke of good luck
    • visubject=humanbe lucky 吾幸 "If I am lucky..."
    • vt+prep+Nbe so lucky as to V
    • vtoNputativeregard as fortunate, rejoice in as fortunate
    休  xiū OC: qhu MC: hɨu 9 Attributions

    Lù 祿 and the rare xiū 休/庥 are elevated and archaising words referring to blessings from Heaven.

      Syntactic words
    • nblessings (from Heaven) 天休（庥）
    • vadNblessed
    • vienjoy good fortune
    • vt+prep+Nbring good luck to; send blessings toCH
    遇時  yù shí OC: ŋos ɡljɯ MC: ŋi̯o dʑɨ 8 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPieventmeet a suitable opportunity> meet the right time, get lucky
    祿  lù OC: b-rooɡ MC: luk 8 Attributions

    Lù 祿 and the rare xiū 休/庥 are elevated and archaising words referring to blessings from Heaven.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 福/LUCK The dominant general word for good fortune is fú 福 (ant. huò 禍 "misfortune"), and the dominant general word for good luck is xìng 幸 (ant. yāng 殃 "misfortune").

      Syntactic words
    • nabeventblessings (from Heaven); good fortune
    • nab{PRED}be something that spells good fortune; augure well.CH
    吉  jí OC: kid MC: kit 7 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Contrast: 喜/DELIGHT Xǐ 喜 (ant. yōu 憂 "worry") is openly manifested delight, manifested in an individual, visible to all, but not normally of any profound significance.
    • Assoc: 安/COMFORTABLE The standard word for material and psychological comfort is ān 安.

      Syntactic words
    • nabeventgood luck; lucky outcome
    • vibe in good luck; turn out lucky
    • vi0there will be good fortune ???
    吉祥  jí xiáng OC: kid sɢlaŋ MC: kit zi̯ɐŋ 6 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPlucky omen; lucky thing; auspicious thing
    • NPabfigurativeBUDDH: auspiciousness (description of nirvāṇa 涅槃); SANSKRIT śiva, PALI siva
    • NPab{N1=N2}stativeauspiciousness
    • VPadNlucky, auspicious
    幸而  xìng ér OC: ɢreeŋʔ njɯ MC: ɦɣɛŋ ȵɨ 6 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVV by luck, V through mere luck; be lucky to V, be lucky if one Vs, with luck; if we are lucky...
    偷幸  tōu xìng OC: lʰoo ɢreeŋʔ MC: thu ɦɣɛŋ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiacthope for an undeserved stroke of good luck, go for good luck
    慶  qìng OC: khraŋs MC: khɣaŋ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabeventfortunate outcome; good fortune; stroke of good luck; fortunate coincidence
    祚  zuò OC: dzaaɡs MC: dzuo̝ 4 Attributions

    Zuò 祚 is a very elevated and archaising word referring to blessings from Heaven as given to states or great clans and the like.

    • () p. 1.775

      Syntactic words
    • nabstativegood fortune (from heaven)
    • vtoNrare and archaic (of Heaven etc): send down good fortune to, confer blessings upon; good fortune (as sent down by Heaven)
    著便  zhuó biàn OC: k-laɡ bens MC: ʈi̯ɐk biɛn 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPicolloquialattach convenience > be lucky, fortunate
    遇  yù OC: ŋos MC: ŋi̯o 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vimeet the right cirucumstances> be in the right place at the right time; be in time; be lucky
    佑  yòu OC: ɢʷɯs MC: ɦɨu
    祐  yòu OC: ɢʷɯs MC: ɦɨu 2 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 福/LUCK The dominant general word for good fortune is fú 福 (ant. huò 禍 "misfortune"), and the dominant general word for good luck is xìng 幸 (ant. yāng 殃 "misfortune").

      Syntactic words
    • nabmetaphysicalOBI: blessings from Heaven, divine succour (mostly written 祐)
    幸  xìng OC: ɢreeŋʔ MC: ɦɣɛŋ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVby good luck
    祜  hù OC: ɡaaʔ MC: ɦuo̝ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabmetaphysicalgood fortune, good destiny granted by Heaven
    期運  jī yùn OC: kɯ ɢuns MC: kɨ ɦi̯un 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPab?? time of good fortune, auspicious occasion, luck (syn. to jīyùn 機運)
    福善  fú shàn OC: pɯɡ ɡjenʔ MC: puk dʑiɛn 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPab{N1&N2}generalexcellent fortune of any kind
    運  yùn OC: ɢuns MC: ɦi̯un 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nabgood fortune, luck
    宿福  sù fú OC: suɡ pɯɡ MC: suk puk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPabmetaphysicalkarmic good fortune DCD: 謂前世註定的福分。
    福慶  fú qìng OC: pɯɡ khraŋs MC: puk khɣaŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPienjoy good fortune
    儌倖  jiǎo xìng OC: kleewʔ ɢreeŋʔ MC: keu ɦɣɛŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+prep+Nseek one's luck with
    吉福  jí fú MC: kjit pjuwk OC: kid pɯɡ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPabgood fortuneCH
    禍福  huò fú OC: ɡloolʔ pɯɡ MC: ɦʷɑ puk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPabmetaphysicalgood or bad fortune; the vicissitudes of good or bad fortune, good or bad luck
    天  tiān OC: lʰiin MC: then 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vibe favoured by Heaven
    妙  miào MC: mjiewH OC: mews 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nabfelicityCH
    衷  zhōng OC: krluŋ MC: ʈuŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabmetaphysicalgood fortune, felicity
    裕  yù OC: k-loɡs MC: ji̯o 0 Attributions

    Yù 裕 (ant. fá 乏 "shortage sent down by Heaven") is an elevated word referring to abundant blessings from Heaven.

      Syntactic words
    遂  suì OC: sɢluds MC: zi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • viprocess
    福群  fú qún OC: pɯɡ ɡlun MC: puk gi̯un 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabstativeall kinds of good fortune
    並  bìng OC: beeŋʔ MC: beŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vimeet the right person or time
    倖  xìng OC: ɢreeŋʔ MC: ɦɣɛŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabmetaphysicalgood luck
    • nadVfortunately
    履  lǚ OC: riʔ MC: li 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabstategood fortune HYDCD: [11] 福祿。《詩·周南·樛木》：「樂只君子，福履綏之。」毛傳：「履，祿。」
    徼倖  jiào xìng OC: kleewɡs ɢreeŋʔ MC: keu ɦɣɛŋ 0 Attributions

    jiǎoxìng

      Syntactic words
    休氣  xiū qì OC: qhu khɯds MC: hɨu khɨi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabmetaphysicalgood luck