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.
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
Compounds
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.
Related Words
Antonym:
凶 (bad fortune)
Antonym:
不吉 (ominous, inauspicious)
Related:
大吉 (great fortune)
Compare:
縁起が良い (auspicious)