The word for “luck” in German is Glück. However, the word glücklich does not usually mean “lucky”, for which there actually is no word in German (glücklich actually means “happy”, “satisfied” or “contented”). Rather, to express “to be lucky”, one would have to say Glück haben — “to have luck”.

Examples

Er hatte Glück. He was lucky.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch. Congratulations” (literally “hearty luck-wish”)

Zum Glück. Fortunately.

Viel Glück! Good luck!

Glücklicher Zufall — Fortunate coincidence

Glücksbringer — Lucky charm

Glückssträhne — Streak of good luck

Good to Know

More idiomatically, Schwein haben (literally “to have a pig”) can also be used to express ‘having a stroke of luck‘.

The opposite of Glück is Pech.

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