Lucky and Happy
“Lucky” and “happy” are two words that are easily confused by German speakers,
as both of these English words can mean the one German word “glücklich.” Do you
know the difference?
Lucky
The word “lucky” expresses that something happens to someone by chance or
unexpectedly and produces a positive result. It often refers to a situation in which
the end result could easily have been negative. For example:
I was lucky that the sun was shining yesterday when I went home. The weather
forecast had predicted rain in the afternoon, and I was without an umbrella.
Happy
The word “happy”, on the other hand, expresses that one is feeling or showing pleasure. For example:
I’m so happy to see you! It’s been too long.
See if you have understood the difference. Try to fit the appropriate word into the
blanks below (you can check your answers at the bottom of the page).
- I was 1._______ to get your e-mail yesterday. It was nice to hear from you.
Consider: what is expressed here — pleasure or chance?
- I was 2._______ to get your e-mail yesterday. Our server was down the whole
day, but we started receiving e-mail again just before I left the office.
Consider: what is expressed here — pleasure or chance?
Answers: 1. happy 2. lucky
Now try this quiz: