Chinese word

吉祥

Pronunciation

Pinyinjí xiáng

Meaning

  • adjectiveauspicious

Example

他们选了一个很吉祥的日子结婚。tā men xuǎn le yí gè hěn jí xiáng de rì zi jié hūn

They chose a very auspicious day to get married.

Illustration for 吉祥 (auspicious)

More examples

祭祀时，人们会摆放象征平安和吉祥的供品。jì sì shí rén men huì bǎi fàng xiàng zhēng píng ān hé jí xiáng de gòng pǐn

During rituals, people place offerings that symbolize peace and good fortune.

Core concept

A positive sign surrounding an event, making it feel set for happiness and smooth progress.

Common phrases

  • 吉祥的日子jí xiáng de rì zi

    auspicious day

  • 吉祥物jí xiáng wù

    lucky charm

Similar words

幸运xìng yùn: Having good luck and a strong chance of success.
吉利jí lì: Considered lucky because it suggests that events will proceed smoothly.

Definition in Chinese

形容带来幸福、顺利或具有吉利意味的状态、事物或氛围。xíng róng dài lái xìng fú shùn lì huò jù yǒu jí lì yì wèi de zhuàng tài shì wù huò fēn wéi

Word origin

吉祥 (jíxiáng, "auspicious") combines 吉 (jí, "good fortune") and 祥 (xiáng, "favorable sign"), joining two positive ideas into a blessing for good outcomes.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word often sounds more formal than casual talk about good fortune, so it fits blessings, wedding language, festive decoration, and other marked occasions.

Other meanings

  • luckyadjective
  • good omennoun

Opposites

  • 不祥bù xiánginauspiciousadjective
  • 不吉利bù jí lìunluckyadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word