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Definition 2024

幸

幸

See also: 倖, 㚔, 羍, and 辛

Translingual

Han character

幸 (radical 51 干+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 土廿十 (GTJ), four-corner 40401, composition ⿱土𢆉)

Derived characters

References

  • KangXi: page 341, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 9176
  • Dae Jaweon: page 649, character 9
  • Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 434, character 8
  • Unihan data for U+5E78

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (幸) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
幸 *ɡreːŋʔ
倖 *ɡreːŋʔ
婞 *ɡeːŋʔ
涬 *ɡeːŋʔ
緈 *ɡeːŋʔ
悻 *ɡeːŋʔ
睪 *neb, *laːɡ

Shuowen: Ideogrammic compound (會意) : 屰 ‎(“opposite”) + 夭 ‎(“death”) – lucky to be alive; fortunate.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.
 幸

Pronunciation

  • Dialectal data▼
Variety Location 幸
Mandarin Beijing /ɕiŋ⁵¹/
Harbin /ɕiŋ⁵³/
Tianjin /ɕiŋ⁵³/
Jinan /ɕiŋ²¹/
Qingdao /ɕiŋ⁴²/
Zhengzhou /ɕiŋ³¹²/
Xi'an /ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
Xining /ɕiə̃²¹³/
Yinchuan /ɕiŋ¹³/
Lanzhou /ɕĩn¹³/
Ürümqi /ɕiŋ²¹³/
Wuhan /ɕin³⁵/
Chengdu /ɕin¹³/
Guiyang /ɕin²¹³/
Kunming /ɕĩ¹/
Nanjing /ɕin⁴⁴/
Hefei /ɕin⁵³/
Jin Taiyuan /ɕiəŋ⁴⁵/
Pingyao /ɕiŋ³⁵/
Hohhot /ɕĩŋ⁵⁵/
Wu Shanghai /ɦiŋ²³/
Suzhou /ɦin³¹/
Hangzhou /ɦin¹³/
Wenzhou /ɦɛ³⁵/
Hui Shexian /ɕiʌ̃²²/
Tunxi /xɛ²⁴/
Xiang Changsha /ɕin⁵⁵/
Xiangtan /ɕin⁵⁵/
Gan Nanchang /ɕin²¹/
Hakka Meixian /hen⁵³/
Taoyuan
Cantonese Guangzhou /hɐŋ²²/
Nanning /hɐŋ²²/
Hong Kong /hɐŋ²²/
Min Xiamen (Min Nan) /hiŋ²²/
Fuzhou (Min Dong) /hɛiŋ²⁴²/
Jian'ou (Min Bei) /xaiŋ⁴⁴/
Shantou (Min Nan) /heŋ³⁵/
Haikou (Min Nan) /heŋ³³/
Rime
Character 幸
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 匣 (33)
Final (韻) 耕 (117)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) II
Fanqie 胡耿切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ɦˠɛŋX/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ɦᵚæŋX/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ɣɐŋX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ɦəɨjŋX/
Li
Rong		 /ɣɛŋX/
Wang
Li		 /ɣæŋX/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /ɣæŋX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 hèng
Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 幸
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 xìng
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ hɛngX ›
Old
Chinese		 /*[ɡ]ˤreŋʔ/
English fortunate

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 幸
Reading # 1/1
No. 13881
Phonetic
component		 幸
Rime
group		 耕
Rime
subdivision		 0
Corresponding
MC rime		 幸
Old
Chinese		 /*ɡreːŋʔ/

Definitions

幸

  1. fortunate; lucky
  2. luckily; fortunately
  3. luck; fortune
  4. favor

Compounds

  • 恩幸
  • 愛幸／爱幸
  • 慶幸／庆幸 (qìngxìng)
  • 所幸
  • 有幸 (yǒuxìng)
  • 望幸
  • 榮幸／荣幸 (róngxìng)
  • 樂禍幸災／乐祸幸灾
  • 權幸／权幸
  • 沒幸／没幸
  • 狼心狗幸
  • 短幸
  • 竊幸乘寵／窃幸乘宠
  • 臨幸／临幸
  • 萬幸／万幸 (wànxìng)
  • 藏幸
  • 行幸 (xíngxìng)
  • 貴幸／贵幸
  • 進幸／进幸
  • 邀天之幸

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 幸 – see 倖.
(This character, 幸, is the simplified form of 倖.)
Notes:

Japanese

Kanji

幸

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

  • 射幸心
  • 薄幸

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
幸
こう
Grade: 3
on'yomi

/kau/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/

From Middle Chinese 幸 ‎(hɛngX, literally “lucky, fortunate, auspicious”). The kan'on, so a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana こう, romaji kō)

  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.

Synonyms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
幸
しあわせ
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

The 連用形 ‎(ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 為合わす, 仕合わす ‎(shiawasu, “to put together well; to work together well”, lower bigrade, with continuative form ending in -e), itself a compound of Old Japanese verbs 為 ‎(su, “to do, to make something be a certain way”) + 合わす ‎(awasu, “to join together, to fit together”).[2][1]

Often spelled 幸せ with the final せ to indicate the reading.

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

  • 幸せ, 仕合せ, 仕合わせ, 倖せ

Adjective

幸 ‎(-na inflection, hiragana しあわせ, romaji shiawase, historical hiragana しあはせ)

  1. happy
  2. fortunate, lucky
Conjugation

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana しあわせ, romaji shiawase, historical hiragana しあはせ)

  1. a moment when circumstances come together: fate, opportunity (used to indicate both good and bad instances)
  2. happiness
  3. good fortune, good luck
  4. circumstances, the flow of events
Synonyms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
幸
さいわい
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwahi/ → /sakiwai/ → /saiwai/

Derived from sakiwai below.[2][1]

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

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Adjective

幸 ‎(-na inflection, hiragana さいわい, romaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  1. very fortunate and happy, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
  2. favorable, ideal (often used in polite constructions)
    お返事 (へんじ)をいただければ幸 (さいわ)いです。
    Ohenji o itadakereba saiwai desu.
    It would be favorable if I could have your reply. → I would greatly appreciate your reply.
Conjugation

Adverb

幸 ‎(hiragana さいわい, romaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  1. fortunately, luckily, happily
    幸 (さいわい)、怪我 (けが)はなかった。
    Saiwai, kega wa nakatta.
    Luckily, no one was hurt.
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 に ‎(ni) and と ‎(to), or, perhaps more commonly, in an adverbial construction as 幸なことに.

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana さいわい, romaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  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. (derivation unknown) the tail and back fins of a carp or other fish, as used in cooking
Synonyms

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
幸
さきわい
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwahi/ → /sakiwai/

The 連用形 ‎(ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う ‎(sakiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (saki below, “good fortune, happiness”) + 這う, 延う ‎(hau, “to spread out widely”).[2]

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana さきわい, romaji sakiwai, historical hiragana さきはひ)

  1. (obsolete) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
  2. (obsolete) good luck or good fortune itself
Usage notes

Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above.

Synonyms

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
幸
さき
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.[2] Possibly cognate with 先 ‎(saki, “tip, point; future, ahead”) from the idea of [favorable] future. Possibly also related to sachi / satsu below.

Pronunciation

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana さき, romaji saki)

  1. (obsolete) good luck, good fortune; happiness
    c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 18, poem 4095)
    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...”
Usage notes

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

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

Synonyms

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
幸
さちわい
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

/sat͡ɕipapi/ → /sat͡ɕiɸaɸi/ → /sat͡ɕiwahi/ → /sat͡ɕiwai/

The 連用形 ‎(ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う ‎(sachiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (sachi below, “good fortune, happiness”) + 這う, 延う ‎(hau, “to spread out widely”).[2]

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana さちわい, romaji sachiwai, historical hiragana さちはひ)

  1. (obsolete, rare) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
  2. (obsolete, rare) 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.

Synonyms

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
幸
さち
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.[2] Possibly cognate with Korean 살 (sal, “arrow”). 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. Possibly derived as the fusion of satsu and Old Japanese emphatic nominalizing particle い: */satu i/ → /sati/ → /sat͡ɕi/

Pronunciation

Adjective

幸 ‎(-na inflection, hiragana さち, romaji sachi)

  1. very fortunate and happy
Conjugation

Noun

幸 ‎(hiragana さち, romaji sachi)

  1. (archaic) a hunting implement; the spirit of a hunting implement
  2. a bounteous catch (for fishing), amply caught game (for hunting); food (specifically animal protein caught in the wild: fish or game)
  3. good fortune, good luck; happiness

Etymology 8

Kanji in this term
幸
さつ
Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.[2] Possibly cognate with Korean 살 (sal, “arrow”). 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.

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Prefix

幸 ‎(hiragana さつ, romaji satsu-)

  1. (obsolete) hunting, for hunting
    幸 (さつ)矢 (や)、幸 (さつ)弓 (ゆみ)、幸 (さつ)人 (ひと)
    satsuya, satsuyumi, satsuhito
    a hunting arrow, a hunting bow, a hunter

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

Korean

Hanja

幸 • ‎(haeng) (hangeul 행, revised haeng, McCune-Reischauer haeng)

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Vietnamese

Han character

幸 (hạnh, may)

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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