吉利

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jílì: 吉利 - Auspicious, Lucky, Favorable

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: jili, 吉利, auspicious in Chinese, lucky in Chinese, Chinese good luck, jili meaning, what does jili mean, Geely Auto, lucky numbers in China, Chinese new year wishes, 大吉大利.
  • Summary: Learn the meaning of the essential Chinese word 吉利 (jílì), a core cultural concept that means “auspicious,” “lucky,” or “favorable.” This guide explores how 吉利 is deeply woven into Chinese culture, influencing everything from dates and numbers to business names, like the famous car brand Geely (吉利). Discover practical usage in modern China, key cultural insights, and example sentences to help you master this term and sound like a native speaker.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): jílì
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • HSK Level: HSK 5
  • Concise Definition: Pertaining to events, objects, numbers, or words that are believed to bring good luck, success, and prosperity.
  • In a Nutshell: 吉利 (jílì) is more than just “lucky.” It describes something that has a built-in, positive quality that signals or invites good fortune. Think of it as a positive omen or a favorable sign. While “luck” can be a random event, something that is 吉利 is chosen or used specifically *because* it is believed to lead to a positive outcome. It's a proactive way of engaging with fortune, not just passively hoping for it.

Character Breakdown

  • 吉 (jí): This character means “lucky” or “auspicious.” Ancient forms depict a scholar's hat or a valuable object in a box, symbolizing good status, safety, and positive outcomes.
  • 利 (lì): This character means “benefit,” “profit,” or “sharp.” Its original pictograph shows a knife (刀) harvesting grain (禾), representing a successful and profitable harvest.
  • When combined, 吉利 (jílì) literally means “lucky and beneficial.” It perfectly captures the idea that something is not just abstractly lucky, but will lead to tangible, positive results like prosperity, success, and smoothness.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • The Pursuit of Auspiciousness: The concept of 吉利 is a cornerstone of daily life and decision-making in Chinese culture. It's a system of beliefs aimed at maximizing positive Qi (气, energy) and avoiding negative influences to ensure success in life's important endeavors. This includes:
    • Numerology: The number 8 (八, bā) is considered extremely 吉利 because it sounds like 发 (fā), as in 发财 (fācái, to get rich). The number 6 (六, liù) is also 吉利 as it sounds like 溜 (liū, smooth). Conversely, 4 (四, sì) is highly unlucky because it sounds like 死 (sǐ, death).
    • Colors: Red (红色, hóngsè) is the ultimate 吉利 color, symbolizing joy, fortune, and celebration. It's used for weddings, festivals, and the famous red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo).
    • Events: Choosing a 吉利 date and time for a wedding, a business opening, or even signing a contract is a common practice, sometimes involving consultation with a fortune teller or the Chinese almanac.
  • Comparison to Western “Superstition”: While a Westerner might see choosing a “lucky number” as a personal superstition (like knocking on wood or avoiding black cats), the concept of 吉利 is a much more collective and socially integrated practice in China. It's not seen as an irrational belief but as a wise tradition for ensuring harmony and a good start. For example, paying extra for a license plate full of 8s is a public display of seeking good fortune, widely understood and respected by the community.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Wishes and Greetings: The most common phrase you'll hear, especially during Chinese New Year, is 大吉大利 (dà jí dà lì), meaning “great luck and great profit!”
  • Business: A company's success is often tied to 吉利.
    • Names: Entrepreneurs choose auspicious names for their businesses. The car brand 吉利汽车 (Jílì Qìchē) is a perfect example, a name chosen to wish its drivers prosperity and good fortune.
    • Openings: A business will often choose an auspicious date (like the 8th or 18th of the month) for its grand opening and celebrate with red decorations and firecrackers to start off on a lucky note, a practice known as 讨个好彩头 (tǎo ge hǎo cǎitóu).
  • Personal Life: People will go to great lengths to incorporate 吉利 elements into their lives, such as paying a premium for a phone number or an apartment on a “lucky” floor (e.g., the 8th, 18th, 28th floors).

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 祝你在新的一年里大吉大利！
    • Pinyin: Zhù nǐ zài xīn de yì nián lǐ dà jí dà lì!
    • English: Wishing you great luck and prosperity in the new year!
    • Analysis: This is a classic greeting for Chinese New Year. It's a set phrase (chengyu) and the most common usage of the characters 吉 and 利 together.
  • Example 2:
    • 我们选一个吉利的日子结婚吧。
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen xuǎn yí ge jílì de rìzi jiéhūn ba.
    • English: Let's pick an auspicious day to get married.
    • Analysis: This shows 吉利 used as a standard adjective to describe a noun (日子, rìzi - day). This is a very common consideration for major life events in China.
  • Example 3:
    • 很多中国人觉得“8”这个数字很吉利。
    • Pinyin: Hěn duō Zhōngguórén juéde “bā” zhè ge shùzì hěn jílì.
    • English: Many Chinese people feel that the number “8” is very auspicious.
    • Analysis: A perfect example of how 吉利 is tied to numerology and cultural beliefs.
  • Example 4:
    • 他给公司起了一个很吉利的名字。
    • Pinyin: Tā gěi gōngsī qǐ le yí ge hěn jílì de míngzi.
    • English: He gave the company a very auspicious name.
    • Analysis: Highlights the term's use in a business context, which is extremely common.
  • Example 5:
    • 在中国，红色被认为是一种吉利的颜色。
    • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, hóngsè bèi rènwéi shì yì zhǒng jílì de yánsè.
    • English: In China, red is considered to be an auspicious color.
    • Analysis: Connects 吉利 to another core cultural concept: the symbolism of colors.
  • Example 6:
    • 为了图个吉利，他开业那天特意穿了件红衬衫。
    • Pinyin: Wèi le tú ge jílì, tā kāiyè nà tiān tèyì chuān le jiàn hóng chènshān.
    • English: Just for good luck, he deliberately wore a red shirt on his business's opening day.
    • Analysis: The phrase “图个吉利 (tú ge jílì)” means “to do something in the hopes of getting good luck.” It perfectly captures the proactive nature of the concept.
  • Example 7:
    • “四”的发音像“死”，所以大家觉得不吉利。
    • Pinyin: “Sì” de fāyīn xiàng “sǐ”, suǒyǐ dàjiā juéde bù jílì.
    • English: The pronunciation of “four” is like “death,” so everyone feels it's inauspicious.
    • Analysis: This shows the negative form, 不吉利 (bù jílì), and explains one of the most famous cultural “rules.”
  • Example 8:
    • 我哥哥买了一辆吉利牌的汽车。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ gēge mǎi le yí liàng Jílì pái de qìchē.
    • English: My older brother bought a Geely brand car.
    • Analysis: A practical, modern example showing 吉利 as a proper noun (brand name). Note that context makes it clear you're talking about the brand, not an “auspicious car” in general.
  • Example 9:
    • 开门大吉！祝你生意兴隆！
    • Pinyin: Kāi mén dà jí! Zhù nǐ shēngyi xīnglóng!
    • English: Good luck on your opening! I wish your business prosperity!
    • Analysis: 开门大吉 (kāi mén dà jí) is a set phrase wishing a new venture success from the very beginning.
  • Example 10:
    • 这块玉佩是个吉利的象征。
    • Pinyin: Zhè kuài yùpèi shì ge jílì de xiàngzhēng.
    • English: This jade pendant is a symbol of good fortune.
    • Analysis: Demonstrates how 吉利 can be used to describe objects and their symbolic meaning.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • 吉利 (jílì) vs. 幸运 (xìngyùn): This is the most crucial distinction for learners.
    • 吉利 (jílì) describes something (a number, day, color, object) that is inherently auspicious and is believed to *bring* good luck. It's a quality.
      • Correct: 这个数字很吉利。(This number is auspicious.)
      • Incorrect: 我很吉利。(I am auspicious.)
    • 幸运 (xìngyùn) means “lucky” or “fortunate” and describes a person experiencing a chance event. It's about a positive outcome that happened to someone.
      • Correct: 你真幸运，居然中奖了！(You're so lucky, you actually won the prize!)
      • Incorrect: 这个数字很幸运。(This number is lucky.) –> You must use 吉利 here.
  • Don't Describe People with 吉利: You cannot say a person is “吉利.” You describe things *related* to them as 吉利 (e.g., their name, their birthday), but the person themselves is 幸运 (xìngyùn) if good things happen to them.

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 大吉大利 (dà jí dà lì) - A four-character idiom (chengyu) meaning “great luck and great profit,” used as a popular blessing.
  • 吉祥 (jíxiáng) - A very close synonym for 吉利, also meaning “auspicious” or “propitious.” Often used in formal or literary contexts. A mascot is a 吉祥物 (jíxiángwù).
  • 幸运 (xìngyùn) - The word for “lucky” by chance or fate. Understanding the difference between this and 吉利 is key.
  • 福 (fú) - A broad and profound concept of “blessing,” “happiness,” and “good fortune.” 吉利 is one way to achieve or attract 福.
  • 顺利 (shùnlì) - “Smooth,” “without a hitch.” People choose 吉利 dates and numbers hoping that their endeavor will go 顺利.
  • 兆头 (zhàotou) - An “omen” or a “sign.” A crow crying might be a bad omen (坏兆头), while seeing a magpie could be a good omen (好兆头). A 吉利 number is a kind of permanent 好兆头.
  • 发财 (fācái) - “To get rich” or “to make a fortune.” The pursuit of 吉利 is often strongly linked to the desire to 发财.
  • 彩头 (cǎitóu) - A token of good luck. “讨个好彩头 (tǎo ge hǎo cǎitóu)” means to do something (like eating certain foods or winning a small game) to get a good start.