# Good Luck



## ThomasK

How do you wish someone good luck in Japanese ? 

Can you give me different ways of expressing that and please add some kind of translation, and maybe a context ? 

(Thanks)


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## lilhelper

Hmm...
The closest thing I could think of would be
Genki de ganbatte ne.
Which means, Good luck in life or Do your best in Life.


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## ThomasK

That is what I also heard: _do your best !_ But then that seems to imply that luck must be worked for... ;-) Thanks  !


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## lrosa

ThomasK said:


> That is what I also heard: _do your best !_ But then that seems to imply that luck must be worked for



Indeed you're right, and this seems to be a cultural difference. The Japanese always seem to use がんばって, both where English speakers would use "Do your best!" *and* where they'd use "Good luck!"


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## Starfrown

がんばってね (_gambatte ne_) has a feminine ring to my ears.

がんばれ (_gambare_) would be fine for use with your close friends and associates.

If you need to be polite, then がんばってください (_gambatte kudasai_).


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## rukiak

I agree with these comments.


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## ThomasK

So no variation possible as for 'gamb-'. 

Do you have the word happiness in Japanese? I guess you do, but then no expression with happiness (like _féliciter_ in French)? Just exploring the use of 'good luck' here...


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## kaito

They have an expression and they use it.
It seems to me that お幸せに can be used as a substitute for good luck but it's mostly (only?) used for marriage.


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## ThomasK

お幸せに : what does it mean precisely, Kaito ?


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## Starfrown

お幸せに (_o-shiawase ni_)
_o_ = honorific prefix
_shiawase_ = happiness
_ni_ = in

"In happiness" = "happily"

The implication in the case of marriage of course being: "[May you live together] in happiness."


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## ThomasK

Just one other note: is _ni_ in or into ? Is there any hint at an ellipse ? 

(I mean: does the prhase imply somehow that the rest must be understood ? For example: _Here !_ is generally understood as _Come here_, especially when accompanied by a gesture) 

And maybe one last question: is wishing (good luck) as common as elsewhere in the world ? (It might very well be, just exploring the subject) And/or: is the reference to (good) luck very common ? (Do your best might imply that luck is not to be hoped for, but to be worked for, is the result of one's own work)


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## rukiak

Hello everyone.


ThomasK said:


> How do you wish someone good luck in Japanese ?
> 
> Can you give me different ways of expressing that and please add some kind of translation, and maybe a context ?
> (Thanks)


I just remember something about this topic.
That's '_omamori_'.　If you don't know '_omamori_', pls do the 'image search' for the word using search engines like google and then do the 'words search' for it. Then you would know that. But I digress.

When you wish your important person/persons good luck in Japan, you go to the shrine (; Shinto shrine) and pray to Gods (; there are many Gods ,even at one shrine, in Japan.) and wish someone good luck. 
At shrine, you buy '_omamori_' and after going back, you present it to your important person.
This style is kind of old fashioned, but may be related to the reason why there does not exist any practical direct translation of 'Good luck'.

I wonder what saying good luck means in your countries. What kind of image, or thought, are there in your mind when you say good luck to someone. And I also wonder when you say good luck to them? Every single time when someone take a test/ have a sport game ? 
Would you pls tell me about that?


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## kaito

It does not have to be a game or test but you got the idea right, anytime something can have a more or less favorable outcome.
You say good luck when you wish the other to succeed at whatever the topic is but it also implies that the thing that will happen or be done is somewhat difficult and the doer may fail at it, so don't use it for trivial things.

The whole saying is rather positive but it can have a negative nuance, like implying your skills are not good enough to do that so you're gonna need the luck.


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## rukiak

Thank you for your response, kaito.
Perhaps. I haven't understood that yet, but the information "don't use it for trivial things" and "but it can have a negative nuance" is a little surprise and helpful for me.


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## Wishfull

ThomasK said:


> How do you wish someone good luck in Japanese ?
> 
> Can you give me different ways of expressing that and please add some kind of translation, and maybe a context ?
> 
> (Thanks)



Hi.
I think there is another translation.
Maybe literal translation;
*「幸運を祈る」　kou-un wo inoru*

This might not be orthodox, traditional Japanese. This might be *translation style*. This might be unnatural. Yet, I sometimes hear or read that expression these days.

If you're requested to translate it into Japanese, you would tend to avoid this expression. But it is a translation and I believe it works.

I want to mention one thing more. 「幸運を祈る」is not very polite expression.
The speaker should be a male person, not female.　And the speaker's social ranking or aging should be higher than the listener.

More polite form like 「幸運をお祈りしています」sounds somehow unnatural.
Just 「幸運を祈る」 sounds natural to me.


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## lrosa

kaito said:


> You say good luck when you wish the other to succeed at whatever the topic is but it also implies that the thing that will happen or be done is somewhat difficult and the doer may fail at it, so don't use it for trivial things.
> 
> The whole saying is rather positive but it can have a negative nuance, like implying your skills are not good enough to do that so you're gonna need the luck.



I'm not sure that I have the same view of "Good luck", actually. I wasn't sure what you meant by "trivial things", but I actually think that I would use "Good luck" for the _less _important things. I think that if I knew someone was going to have to go through a very significant trial/hardship, "Good luck" would sound a bit too trivial to me, and what's more, it would suggest that I was worried that the person would fail, and that they would consequently need "luck" to pull them through. 

For example, if I knew someone who was going to have surgery, I _could _say "Good luck", but I would have to say it in a different, more serious tone of voice than usual. However, it would be more likely that in such a serious situation, I would try and come up with something more original, perhaps more personal, to say. 


"Good luck" can be said sarcastically, such as in the following example:

A: "I am _not_ going to go out with you."
B: "Just you wait and see, one of these days I'm going to convince you."
A: "Ha! Good luck! (Because it's never going to happen)"

However, for me, in most situations it does not have a negative nuance.


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## kaito

Well, everyone draws their own lines regarding the triviality of a matter, I wouldn't use it for too severe stuff either but I would not say it to, for example, someone who's doing a simple job's routine.


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## ThomasK

Thanks for the onamori hint, which is mainly cultural information, I guess. I have just read it means : honorary protector. You agree ?  Could it be like a fetish or at least an amulet ??? It reminds me of things I know in Catholic tradition. 

The idea of luck is certainly implied. Thanks !


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