幸い

See also: 辛い

Japanese

Etymology 1
Kanji in this term
幸
さいわ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwahi/ → /sakiwai/ → /saiwai/

Derived from sakiwai below.[1][2]

More often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Adjective

幸い (-na inflection, hiragana さいわい, rōmaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  1. very fortunate and happy, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
  2. favorable, ideal (often used in polite constructions)
    お返事 (へんじ)をいただければ幸 (さいわ)いです。
    Ohenji o itadakereba saiwai desu.
    It would be favorable if I could have your reply. → I would greatly appreciate your reply.
Inflection
Inflection of 幸い
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 幸いだろ さいわいだろ saiwai daro
Continuative (連用形) 幸いで さいわいで saiwai de
Terminal (終止形) 幸いだ さいわいだ saiwai da
Attributive (連体形) 幸いな さいわいな saiwai na
Hypothetical (仮定形) 幸いなら さいわいなら saiwai nara
Imperative (命令形) 幸いであれ さいわいであれ saiwai de are
Key constructions
Informal negative 幸いではない
幸いじゃない		 さいわいではない
さいわいじゃない		 saiwai de wa nai
saiwai ja nai
Informal past 幸いだった さいわいだった saiwai datta
Informal negative past 幸いではなかった
幸いじゃなかった		 さいわいではなかった
さいわいじゃなかった		 saiwai de wa nakatta
saiwai ja nakatta
Formal 幸いです さいわいです saiwai desu
Formal negative 幸いではありません
幸いじゃありません		 さいわいではありません
さいわいじゃありません		 saiwai de wa arimasen
saiwai ja arimasen
Formal past 幸いでした さいわいでした saiwai deshita
Formal negative past 幸いではありませんでした
幸いじゃありませんでした		 さいわいではありませんでした
さいわいじゃありませんでした		 saiwai de wa arimasen deshita
saiwai ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive 幸いで さいわいで saiwai de
Conditional 幸いなら（ば） さいわいなら（ば） saiwai nara (ba)
Provisional 幸いだったら さいわいだったら saiwai dattara
Volitional 幸いだろう さいわいだろう saiwai darō
Adverbial 幸いに さいわいに saiwai ni
Degree 幸いさ さいわいさ saiwaisa

Adverb

幸い (hiragana さいわい, rōmaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  1. fortunately, luckily, happily
    幸 (さいわい)、怪 (け)我 (が)はなかった。
    Saiwai, kega wa nakatta.
    Luckily, no one was hurt.
Usage notes

When used as an adverb without a particle, this term usually comes at the start of the sentence. It also appears used with advervial particles に (ni) and と (to), or, perhaps more commonly, in an adverbial construction as 幸なことに.

Noun

幸い (hiragana さいわい, rōmaji saiwai, historical hiragana さいはひ)

  1. very good fortune and happiness, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
  2. an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
  3. (derivation unknown) the tail and back fins of a carp or other fish, as used in cooking
Synonyms

Etymology 2
Kanji in this term
幸
さきわ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwahi/ → /sakiwai/

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う (sakiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (saki, “good fortune, happiness”) +‎ 這う (hau, “to spread out widely”).[1]

More often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

幸い (hiragana さきわい, rōmaji sakiwai, historical hiragana さきはひ)

  1. (obsolete) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
  2. (obsolete) good luck or good fortune itself
Usage notes

Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above.

Synonyms

Etymology 3
Kanji in this term
幸
さちわ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

/sat͡ɕipapi/ → /sat͡ɕiɸaɸi/ → /sat͡ɕiwahi/ → /sat͡ɕiwai/

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う (sachiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (sachi, “good fortune, happiness”) +‎ 這う (hau, “to spread out widely”).[1]

More often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

幸い (hiragana さちわい, rōmaji sachiwai, historical hiragana さちはひ)

  1. (obsolete, rare) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
  2. (obsolete, rare) good luck or good fortune itself
Usage notes

Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above. In historical Japanese, sachiwai appears to be a rarer variant of sakiwai above.

Synonyms

References
  1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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