1.
good fortune; good luck; auspicious
A favorable outcome or auspicious sign. Most commonly encountered on omikuji (fortune slips) at shrines and temples, where it ranks as the second-best fortune after 大吉.
おみくじで吉が出た。
I got 'good fortune' on my omikuji.
大吉ではなかったが、吉なら十分だ。
It wasn't the best fortune, but good fortune is enough.
吉と出るか凶と出るかは運次第だ。
Whether it turns out lucky or unlucky depends on fate.
Good fortune or luck, especially as a result on omikuji fortune slips. The character 吉 appears extensively in names, place names, and compounds related to good luck.
OMIKUJI RANKINGS:
On fortune slips, 吉 typically ranks second after 大吉:
- 大吉 — great blessing
- 吉 — good fortune
- 中吉 — moderate blessing
- 小吉 — small blessing
- 末吉 — near-blessing
- 凶 — bad luck
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 大吉 — great fortune
- 不吉 — ominous, unlucky
- 吉報 — good news
- 吉日 — auspicious day
- 吉兆 — good omen
IN NAMES:
Extremely common in given names and surnames: 吉田, 吉村, 吉本. In names, the reading is usually よし rather than きち.