福气
fú qi · HSK 7
good fortune
🍀 福 (fortune) + 气 (qi/energy) = good-fortune energy
福 is the classic Lunar New Year character pasted on doors for blessings; 气 is the same qi as in 'qi energy'. Together: the vibe or aura of being blessed — someone who has 福气 is a lucky person.
福 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 畐 (full vessel)
福 originally depicted hands offering a full wine jar (畐) at an altar (示) to the spirits, asking for blessings. The 示 radical signals religious or ritual meaning, while 畐 suggests both the sound and the idea of fullness or abundance. Over time it came to mean 'good fortune' or 'blessing.'
气 — steam/vapor radical 气
Originally a pictograph of rising vapor or clouds drifting in the sky, depicting curling streams of air. The character came to mean breath, air, and by extension vital energy or 'qi.' The simplified form 气 keeps the original outline; the traditional 氣 added 米 (rice) to suggest steam rising from cooking grain.