si4 wan6時運时运
Jyutpingsi4 wan6
Yalesìh wahn
Definition
Fate, luck, or current fortune.
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the transient nature of one's fortune or the prevailing circumstances of a period. It implies that luck is cyclical rather than a fixed state of being. People often use it to explain why someone might be experiencing a sudden streak of success or a series of unfortunate events.
Examples
His luck has been bad lately, nothing he does goes smoothly.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 命運, which refers to one's permanent destiny or life path. 時運 is temporary and fluctuates, whereas 命運 is generally considered unchangeable.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
