縁 起(えんぎ)

えんぎ

noun

omen, luck, auspiciousness

See also: 演技(えんぎ) (acting (演技))

1. omen, luck, auspiciousness

Signs or indications of good or bad fortune. In Japanese culture, many everyday actions, numbers, and objects are considered to carry good or bad luck.

縁起(えんぎ)がいい数字(すうじ)だ。

It's a lucky number.

茶柱(ちゃばしら)が立(た)つと縁起(えんぎ)がいいと言(い)われている。

It's said to be a good omen when a tea stalk stands upright.

試験(しけん)の前(まえ)に縁起(えんぎ)を担(かつ)いでカツ丼(どん)を食(た)べた。

Before the exam, I ate katsudon for good luck.

カツ sounds like 勝(か)つ (to win), making it a superstitious pre-exam food.

Usage

Most commonly used in the phrases 縁起(えんぎ)がいい (good omen, lucky) and 縁起(えんぎ)が悪(わる)い (bad omen, unlucky). The expression 縁起(えんぎ)を担(かつ)ぐ means to be superstitious or to do something for good luck.

Common collocations

縁起(えんぎ)がいい: lucky, auspicious
縁起(えんぎ)が悪(わる)い: unlucky, inauspicious
縁起(えんぎ)を担(かつ)ぐ: to be superstitious, to act for luck
縁起物(えんぎもの): lucky charm, good-luck item
縁起(えんぎ)直(なお)し: doing something to reverse bad luck

Cultural note

Japanese culture has many 縁起(えんぎ)-related beliefs: the number 4 (四(し), homophone of 死(し) "death") is unlucky; 招(まね)き猫(ねこ) (beckoning cat) is a 縁起物(えんぎもの); breaking chopsticks cleanly is good luck.

general

Added 2026.2.27 13:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

13500/13815_engi