Happy/Lucky
Just here for the exercises? Click here.What’s the difference between happy and lucky?
Some learners of English get confused between happy and lucky. These adjectives have two different meanings in English.
Happy describes a joyful or content mood.
Lucky can refer to a fortunate coincidence, a person that has success by chance, or an object that brings good fortune.
Read on for a detailed explanation of the differences between lucky and happy, then try your own luck in the free exercises.
Example
William: Why do you look so happy?
Alphie: I’m going to ask Paige to the school dance.
William: She’s very popular, you’ll be lucky if she even says hello to you.
Alphie: That’s why I’m wearing my lucky hat!
William: Go on then, good luck!
… 5 minutes later …
Alphie: She said yes!
William: I’m so happy for you!
Happy
- happy = feel joy or contentment
- Examples:
- Why do you look so happy?
- I’m happy for you.
- There are lots of different ways to say happy (e.g. content, pleased, joyful, cheerful, glad, etc.)
- Example:
- Why do you look so pleased?
Lucky
- lucky = fortunate/something good happens by chance not through one’s own actions
- Example:
- You’ll be lucky if she says hello.
- lucky + noun = something that brings good fortune
- Example:
- I’m wearing my lucky hat!
- good/bad luck = good/bad fortune
- Example:
- Go on then, good luck.
Compare: happy vs. lucky
Compare both adjectives side-by-side in the following example:
- Example:
- We got lucky at the casino and won $10,000 in a poker game! I’m so happy that we can afford to buy a new car.
- Being lucky in the casino = good fortune that happened by chance
- Feeling happy about the money = joyful mood because of the good fortune
