まぐれ

ま

ぐ

れ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

fluke; chance; pure luck

usually written using kana alone

Refers to an unexpected, lucky outcome that was not due to skill or effort. Often used in phrases like まぐれ当たり (a lucky hit) or まぐれ勝ち (a fluke win).

あのゴールはまぐれだった

と

思おも

う

。

I think that goal was a fluke.

試し験けんに受うかったのはまぐれだ。

Passing the exam was pure luck.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉はまぐれだto say that an outcome was just a lucky fluke, not the result of skill
今こん回かいの勝しょう利りはまぐれだった。
This win was just a fluke.
まぐれで〈動どう詞し〉to do something purely by luck
まぐれで試し験けんに合ごう格かくした。
I passed the exam by sheer luck.

Kanji

紛distract, be mistaken for, go astray

Related words

偶ぐう然ぜんN3
偶然 is the general word for a coincidence or chance event, while まぐれ specifically describes an undeservedly lucky result.
運うんN3
運 refers to luck or fortune as an overall force in life, whereas まぐれ points to one isolated lucky occurrence.
フロック
まぐれ is the native Japanese word for a lucky fluke, while フロック is a loanword with the same meaning but a more modern, sports-related feel.

Opposites

実じつ力りょくN3
実力 means genuine skill or ability, the opposite of a result attributed to まぐれ (mere luck).

Don't confuse with

紛まぎれるN1
紛れる (written with the same kanji root) means 'to get mixed up or lost', quite different from まぐれ's meaning of 'a lucky fluke'.

Written forms

まぐれUsage89%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
マグレUsage11%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in casual writing.
紛まぐれ
Kanji form is listed but is rarely used; the word is almost always written in kana.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 紛れる (まぎれる, 'to become mixed up' or 'to be indistinguishable'), suggesting an outcome that is not clearly attributable to skill. The exact semantic shift to 'fluke' is uncertain.