Details
Description
Good fortune - good words spoken. The auspicious result on a shrine fortune slip, and lucky days.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of samurai and mouth. Samurai speaking good words.
Symbolism
Lucky day, fortune, auspicious. Represents good things.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Filled with joy
Component Breakdown
士 + mouth
Words & Expressions
Words written with 吉
Four-Character Compounds
石部金吉
いしべきんきち
man of incorruptible character
黄道吉日
おうどうきちにち
very auspicious day for all types of occasions
大安吉日
たいあんきちじつ
very auspicious day for all types of occasions (one of the six special days in the Japanese lunisolar calendar)
吉凶禍福
きっきょうかふく
good and bad fortune, and weal and woe
Proverbs & Idioms
吉凶は糾える縄の如し
きっきょうはあざなえるなわのごとし
Fortune and misfortune are like twisted rope
Good and bad luck alternate like strands in a rope
Poetry
朝ぼらけ ありあけの月と 見るまでに 吉野の里に 降れる白雪
At first light I took it for the dawn moon — the white snow that has fallen on the village of Yoshino.
み吉野の 山の秋風 さ夜ふけて ふるさと寒く 衣うつなり
Autumn wind off the mountains of Yoshino; the night deepens, the old village is cold, and someone is beating cloth.
Related Figures & Stories
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as Kinoshita Tōkichirō and Hashiba Hideyoshi , was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the late Sengoku and…
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Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese writer, educator, and philosopher who is regarded as one of the key figures of the Meiji era for his efforts to…
Wikipedia徳川綱吉
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Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the fifth shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan.
Wikipedia吉田松陰
Name contains 吉
Yoshida Shōin ɕoꜜː.iɴ], born Sugi Toranosuke ; September 20, 1830 – November 21, 1859), commonly named Torajirō , was one of Japan's most…
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 吉 mean in Japanese?
吉 means good luck, joy, congratulations. Good fortune - good words spoken. The auspicious result on a shrine fortune slip, and lucky days.
How do you read 吉?
On'yomi: キチ、キツ (KICHI, KITSU). Kun'yomi: よし (yoshi).
How many strokes does 吉 have?
吉 has 6 strokes. Its radical is 口 (mouth).
Is 吉 a good kanji for a tattoo?
吉 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means good luck, joy, congratulations. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:joy · congratulations