Good Luck in Chinese: 34 Essential Phrases for Every Occasion

You type “good luck” into a translation app, get 好运, and send it with complete confidence.

Then someone replies with something that looks much longer. Or your Chinese friend tells you, gently, that your phrase sounded a bit like a fortune cookie.

That tiny problem is the reason this guide exists.

Chinese has several ways to wish someone luck, success, safety, smooth progress, or a good outcome. The best choice depends on what’s actually happening. An exam? A job interview? A wedding? The start of Lunar New Year? A friend heading into surgery? Those situations don't call for exactly the same phrase.

For learners building practical speaking skills, this is where vocabulary lists can get annoying. You don't just need a translation. You need to know what native speakers actually say, when to say it, and what not to accidentally imply.

Below are 34 useful ways to say good luck in Chinese, with Chinese characters, pinyin, meanings, and real-life context.

The one phrase everyone learns first

1. 好运！— Hǎo yùn!

Meaning: Good luck!

This is the most direct translation of “good luck.” 好运 literally means “good fortune” or “good luck.”

You might hear:

祝你好运！
Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn!
I wish you good luck!

It works. Still, in everyday Mandarin, native speakers often choose something more specific.

Before an exam, for example, 加油 is usually more natural.

2. 祝你好运！— Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn!

Meaning: Wish you good luck!

祝 (zhù) means “to wish.” This makes the expression sound warmer and more complete.

A useful pattern:

祝 + person + 好运

• 祝你好运！— Good luck to you!

• 祝他好运！— Wish him good luck!

• 祝大家好运！— Good luck, everyone!

Simple. Reliable.

For exams, interviews, and anything stressful

3. 加油！— Jiā yóu!

Meaning: Come on! / You can do it! / Good luck!

Literally, 加油 means “add oil.” Yes, really.

The phrase originally referred to adding fuel or effort, but modern Mandarin uses it as encouragement. You'll hear it at sporting events, before exams, during difficult projects, and even when a friend is having a terrible Monday.

明天考试，加油！
Míngtiān kǎoshì, jiāyóu!
Good luck with your exam tomorrow!

This is one of the first phrases worth memorizing because translation apps often flatten it into “add oil,” which is technically literal and socially useless.

4. 祝你考试顺利！— Zhù nǐ kǎoshì shùnlì!

Meaning: I hope your exam goes smoothly!

顺利 (shùnlì) means “smoothly” or “without problems.”

This is more natural than repeatedly saying 好运 when you know exactly what the person is facing.

5. 考试加油！— Kǎoshì jiāyóu!

Meaning: Good luck on your exam!

Short. Casual. Very common.

6. 马到成功！— Mǎ dào chéng gōng!

Meaning: May you achieve success immediately!

Literally, the phrase means something like “success arrives as soon as the horse arrives.”

It comes from classical imagery and is now used as an idiomatic wish for quick success. It's especially appropriate for exams, competitions, business ventures, and ambitious projects.

7. 旗开得胜！— Qí kāi dé shèng!

Meaning: May you win immediately!

The literal image is a battle flag being unfurled and victory following.

This sounds more dramatic than 加油. Use it for competitions, important challenges, or situations where someone is aiming to win.

8. 一切顺利！— Yíqiè shùnlì!

Meaning: May everything go smoothly!

A wonderfully flexible phrase.

You can use it before an interview, a move, a trip, a presentation, or a major life change.

祝你一切顺利！
Zhù nǐ yíqiè shùnlì!
Wishing you all the best!

For job interviews and career moves

9. 祝你面试顺利！— Zhù nǐ miànshì shùnlì!

Meaning: Good luck with your interview!

面试 (miànshì) means “job interview.”

This is much better targeted than a generic “good luck.”

10. 祝你成功！— Zhù nǐ chénggōng!

Meaning: I wish you success!

Direct and slightly formal.

Use it for a business project, application, competition, or other goal-oriented situation.

11. 前程似锦！— Qiánchéng sì jǐn!

Meaning: May your future be as bright as brocade!

This is a more literary expression. 前程 refers to someone's future or career prospects, while 似锦 compares that future to richly colored brocade.

It's popular in graduation messages, farewell cards, and career congratulations.

Don't casually shout this at someone before a five-minute Zoom interview. It would feel a little theatrical.

12. 大展宏图！— Dà zhǎn hóng tú!

Meaning: May you achieve your grand ambitions!

A formal, ambitious phrase often used in business and professional contexts.

Think new company. New role. Major expansion.

For competitions and sports

13. 祝你赢！— Zhù nǐ yíng!

Meaning: I hope you win!

Very direct.

14. 必胜！— Bì shèng!

Meaning: Certain victory!

必 (bì) means “certainly” or “must,” and 胜 (shèng) means victory.

You'll see this on banners, hear it in team encouragement, and encounter it in energetic competition settings.

15. 全力以赴！— Quánlì yǐ fù!

Meaning: Give it everything you've got!

This isn't technically “good luck.” That's the point.

Chinese encouragement often focuses on effort rather than chance. If someone is about to compete, 全力以赴 can sound more motivating than simply wishing them luck.

For travel and safe journeys

16. 一路顺风！— Yílù shùnfēng!

Meaning: Have a smooth journey!

Literally: “May the wind be favorable all the way.”

Say this when someone is leaving on a trip.

17. 旅途愉快！— Lǚtú yúkuài!

Meaning: Have a pleasant trip!

This is slightly more neutral and appears in travel-related messages, service interactions, and polite conversation.

18. 一帆风顺！— Yì fān fēng shùn!

Meaning: May everything go smoothly!

The literal image is a sailboat moving with favorable wind.

Although it can refer to travel, it's also used metaphorically to wish someone smooth progress in life or work.

For big events and new beginnings

Some luck phrases aren't really about luck at all. They focus on a smooth start.

19. 开门红！— Kāimén hóng!

Meaning: A strong start!

Literally, 开门红 means “opening the door to red,” with red traditionally associated with good fortune and celebration.

It's often used for a successful start to a business period, project, sales campaign, or competition.

20. 开个好头！— Kāi ge hǎo tóu!

Meaning: Get off to a good start!

Natural, conversational, and useful.

21. 心想事成！— Xīn xiǎng shì chéng!

Meaning: May all your wishes come true!

Literally: “What the heart desires becomes reality.”

You'll often hear this during celebrations and New Year greetings.

22. 万事如意！— Wànshì rúyì!

Meaning: May everything go as you wish!

A classic blessing. More formal than something you'd send before a quiz.

Chinese New Year: luck gets louder

During Lunar New Year, good-luck wishes become part of everyday greetings.

23. 恭喜发财！— Gōngxǐ fācái!

Meaning: Wishing you prosperity and wealth!

This is one of the best-known Chinese New Year greetings.

恭喜 means congratulations, while 发财 means to become wealthy or prosper financially.

24. 新年快乐！— Xīnnián kuàilè!

Meaning: Happy New Year!

Not specifically “good luck,” but essential during the holiday.

25. 吉祥如意！— Jíxiáng rúyì!

Meaning: May you have good fortune and everything you desire!

A traditional-sounding blessing, especially suitable for cards and festive messages.

26. 大吉大利！— Dàjí dàlì!

Meaning: Great luck and great prosperity!

You'll often see 吉 (jí), meaning auspiciousness or good fortune, in traditional expressions.

Weddings and happy relationships

27. 百年好合！— Bǎinián hǎo hé!

Meaning: May you enjoy a harmonious union for a hundred years!

This is a traditional wedding blessing.

28. 永结同心！— Yǒng jié tóngxīn!

Meaning: May you remain united forever!

Formal and poetic. Better for a wedding card than a casual text message.

29. 白头偕老！— Bái tóu xié lǎo!

Meaning: May you grow old together!

A warm expression wishing a couple a long marriage.

When you want to wish someone well without saying “luck”

30. 保重！— Bǎozhòng!

Meaning: Take care!

Not a luck phrase, but extremely useful when someone is traveling, moving away, or facing a difficult situation.

31. 平安！— Píng'ān!

Meaning: Peace and safety!

平安 is often more meaningful than 好运 when your concern is someone's wellbeing rather than success.

32. 天天好心情！— Tiāntiān hǎo xīnqíng!

Meaning: May you be in a good mood every day!

A friendly, lighthearted wish.

33. 万事顺心！— Wànshì shùnxīn!

Meaning: May everything go according to your wishes!

Similar to 万事如意, but slightly more conversational in feel.

34. 好运常伴！— Hǎo yùn cháng bàn!

Meaning: May good luck always be with you!

This sounds more poetic than everyday speech, making it useful for cards, messages, and sentimental occasions.

So, which “good luck” phrase should you actually use?

Here's the quick version:

The pattern matters more than memorizing all 34 at once.

A practical approach is to learn four first:

1. 加油！ for encouragement.

2. 祝你好运！ for general good luck.

3. 一切顺利！ for almost any important event.

4. 一路顺风！ for travel.

Then build outward.

Small mistakes learners make

Mistake #1: Using 好运 for every situation.

It isn't wrong. It just becomes repetitive and occasionally unnatural. Specific phrases usually sound better.

Mistake #2: Translating “good luck” word for word.

Languages don't always package encouragement the same way. An English speaker may wish luck before a test; a Mandarin speaker may simply say 加油.

Mistake #3: Ignoring tone.

Mandarin is tonal, so pinyin matters:

• 好运 — hǎo yùn

• 加油 — jiā yóu

• 顺利 — shùnlì

• 成功 — chénggōng

Tone mistakes won't always destroy communication, but they can produce some wonderfully confusing moments.

How to make these phrases stick

Don't study them as a giant wall of vocabulary. That rarely survives beyond the first review session.

Try grouping phrases by moments you've actually experienced.

Before your next stressful task, say 加油.

When a friend travels, send 一路顺风.

When someone starts a new job, use 前程似锦 or simply 祝你一切顺利.

The phrase starts to feel less like a flashcard and more like language.

FAQs About Saying Good Luck in Chinese

How do you say “good luck” in Mandarin Chinese?

The most direct translation is 好运 (hǎo yùn). A full sentence is 祝你好运 (zhù nǐ hǎo yùn), meaning “I wish you good luck.”

Is 加油 the same as good luck?

Not exactly. 加油 (jiāyóu) is closer to “Come on,” “Keep going,” or “You can do it,” but it's often the most natural thing to say before an exam, competition, or difficult task.

What do you say for good luck on an exam in Chinese?

A natural choice is 考试加油！(kǎoshì jiāyóu!) or 祝你考试顺利！(zhù nǐ kǎoshì shùnlì!).

How do you wish someone a safe trip in Chinese?

Say 一路顺风！(yílù shùnfēng!), meaning “Have a smooth journey,” or 旅途愉快！(lǚtú yúkuài!), meaning “Have a pleasant trip.”

What is the Chinese phrase for wishing success?

祝你成功！(zhù nǐ chénggōng!) means “I wish you success.” For a more idiomatic and ambitious blessing, try 马到成功！(mǎ dào chéng gōng!).

The next time you want to say “good luck” in Chinese, don't automatically reach for 好运. Pause for a second and ask what you're actually wishing for: courage, victory, smooth progress, safety, prosperity, or success.

Then pick the phrase that fits.

That tiny adjustment is where memorized Chinese starts sounding like real Chinese.