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運 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
運yùnto run; ship, transport; fortune, luckx, 12 strokes, radical 辶
yùn(yun4) T4
  1. 1to run; ship, transport; fortune, luck
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

運yùn(yun4)

The character 運 (yùn) primarily means 'to transport' or 'to carry.' It can also refer to 'fortune' or 'luck,' often used in contexts related to fate or destiny. Commonly, it appears in phrases discussing luck in life or the logistics of moving goods.

Strokes12Radical辶
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of luck is deeply intertwined with everyday life, often reflected in practices like consulting fortune tellers or choosing auspicious dates for events. The character 運 encapsulates this belief in how fate can be influenced by one's actions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large transport truck (the character's form) carrying a lucky charm. The truck (運) is 'on the move' as it 'runs' (pronounced yùn) towards good fortune. This connection between transport and luck helps remember the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 運

yùn(yun4)
1to run; ship, transport; fortune, luck
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 運

運Simplified
12Strokes
辶Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 運

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Podcast: 運

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 運

Quick Contrast

运 (yùn) vs 送 (sòng) — use 运 when emphasizing the act of transporting or carrying, while 送 specifically refers to sending or delivering something to someone.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 運 with the character 运 (yùn), which has the same pronunciation but may have different nuance in certain contexts. This word is used in both formal and informal settings, especially in discussions about luck, fate, or logistics. Common collocations include '運氣' (yùnqì) for 'luck' and '運輸' (yùnshū) for 'transportation.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 運 is not an HSK level word, it connects well with other HSK words related to movement and fortune. Students should focus on recognizing it in context and associating it with related terms like '行' (xíng - to go) and '運氣' (luck) to build a comprehensive understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 運 with similar-sounding characters, such as 运, leading to mispronunciation or misunderstanding. For instance, saying '运气' as 'yūnqì' instead of 'yùnqì' can affect comprehension.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 運

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Etymology of 運

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 云 represents the sound. Simplified form of 運.

Memory Hint

walk

Semantic (meaning)辶
+
Phonetic (sound)軍
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 運

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 云 represents the sound. Simplified form of 運.

  1. 1The meaning half辶 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half軍 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywalk
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 運? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 運?

Decomposition of 運

IDS Structure⿺辶軍
運Full Character
=
辶chuo4
enclosing
軍jun1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 運?

How to say to run; ship, transport; fortune, luck in Chinese

“to run; ship, transport; fortune, luck” in Chinese is運yùn

The character 運 (yùn) primarily means 'to transport' or 'to carry.' It can also refer to 'fortune' or 'luck,' often used in contexts related to fate or destiny. Commonly, it appears in phrases discussing luck in life or the logistics of moving goods.

When to use 運

Be careful not to confuse 運 with the character 运 (yùn), which has the same pronunciation but may have different nuance in certain contexts. This word is used in both formal and informal settings, especially in discussions about luck, fate, or logistics. Common collocations include '運氣' (yùnqì) for 'luck' and '運輸' (yùnshū) for 'transportation.'

運 or something close to it

运 (yùn) vs 送 (sòng) — use 运 when emphasizing the act of transporting or carrying, while 送 specifically refers to sending or delivering something to someone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 運 with similar-sounding characters, such as 运, leading to mispronunciation or misunderstanding. For instance, saying '运气' as 'yūnqì' instead of 'yùnqì' can affect comprehension.

Write 運

運

Practice writing 運 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 運

Words Containing This Character20
运动yùndòngto move運動
幸运xìngyùnfortunate幸運
好运hǎoyùngood luck好運
运yùnto move運
命运mìngyùnfate命運
运行yùnxíng(fig.) to function運行
运气yùnqiluck (good or bad)運氣
运用yùnyòngto use運用
运输yùnshūtransport運輸
运动员yùndòngyuánathlete運動員
运作yùnzuòto operate運作
运营yùnyíngto be in operation運營
走运lucky走運
奥运Olympic Games奧運
奥运会àoyùnhuìOlympic Games奧運會
运转yùnzhuǎnto work運轉
运送yùnsòngto transport運送
亚运会yàyùnhuìAsian Games亞運會
客运kèyùn(Tw) intercity bus客運
春运(increased) passenger transportation around Chinese New Year春運
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 运动 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 運

You can say '我的運氣很好' (Wǒ de yùnqì hěn hǎo) meaning 'My luck is very good.'

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