福ふく

幸しあわせN4
幸せ describes a subjective feeling of happiness or contentment, while 福 refers to external good fortune or blessings bestowed upon someone.
運うんN3
運 is a neutral word for luck or fate that can be good or bad, whereas 福 specifically means positive fortune or blessing.

Opposites

災わざわいN1
禍 means misfortune or calamity, the direct opposite of 福's good fortune, as in the pair 禍福 (fortune and misfortune).

Don't confuse with

副ふくN2
副 (deputy, vice-) is pronounced identically and looks visually similar to 福 due to a shared component, but it means 'secondary/deputy', not 'good fortune'.
服ふくN5
服 (clothes) is a homophone of 福 but refers to clothing, not to good fortune or blessing.

Word family· 57

福ふく祉しN2
welfare; social welfare; well-being
幸こう福ふくN3
happiness; well-being; joy
祝しゅく福ふくN1
celebration; congratulations; blessing; well-wishing · divine blessing; God's blessing
裕ゆう福ふくN1
wealthy; rich; affluent
福ふく袋ぶくろ
lucky bag; mystery bag; grab bag

Show 25 more

福ふく音いん
good news; glad tidings · gospel; teachings of Christ
冥めい福ふく
repose of a soul; happiness in the afterlife
大だい福ふく
great fortune; good luck · daifuku; rice cake stuffed with sweet bean paste
至し福ふく
supreme bliss; beatitude
福ふく利り
welfare; well-being; benefits
福ふく神じん
god of fortune
福ふく助すけ
Fukusuke; large-headed dwarf statue; good-luck charm
福ふく徳とく
fortune; happiness and prosperity
福ふく引びき
lottery; raffle; prize drawing
福ふく耳みみ
plump earlobes; fleshy ears
福ふく寿じゅ
long life and happiness
眼がん福ぷく
feast for the eyes; visual delight
招しょう福ふく
inviting good luck; good luck charm
福ふくの神かみ
god of fortune; god of wealth
福ふく神じん漬づけ
fukujinzuke; sliced vegetables pickled in soy sauce
お多た福ふく
homely woman; plain woman · Otafuku mask
万ばん福ぷく
all health and happiness; complete well-being
五ご福ふく
the five blessings
八はち福ふく
the Beatitudes
内ない福ふく
richer than it appears; secretly wealthy
列れっ福ぷく
beatification
利り福ふく
well-being; welfare; benefits and happiness
天てん福ぷく
heavenly blessing · Tenpuku era (1233–1234)
寿じゅ福ふく
long life and happiness
康こう福ふく
peace and happiness; health and happiness; well-being; welfare

See all 57 in Explore →

Written forms

福ふくUsage83%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news and common word.
フクUsage9%
ふくUsage8%

Etymology

The kanji 福 has been used since ancient times to represent blessings and good fortune. The reading ふく is the on'yomi, and the word is deeply rooted in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.