# 幸い
## Japanese
### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 幸
* さいわ Grade: 3
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 幸
/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwawi/ → /sakiwai/ → /saiwai/
Derived from sakiwai below.
Most often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) さいわい [sàíwáí] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [sa̠iβ̞a̠i]

#### Adjective

幸(さいわ)い • (saiwai) -na (adnominal 幸(さいわ)いな (saiwai na), adverbial 幸(さいわ)いに (saiwai ni))
* very fortunate and happy, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
* favorable, ideal (often used in polite constructions)
    お返(へん)事(じ)をいただければ幸(さいわ)いです。
       O-henji o itadakereba saiwai desu.
       It would be favorable if I could have your reply. → I would greatly appreciate your reply.

##### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | 幸いだろ | さいわいだろ | saiwai daro |
| Continuative (連用形) | 幸いで | さいわいで | saiwai de |
| Terminal (終止形) | 幸いだ | さいわいだ | saiwai da |
| Attributive (連体形) | 幸いな | さいわいな | saiwai na |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | 幸いなら | さいわいなら | saiwai nara |
| Imperative (命令形) | 幸いであれ | さいわいであれ | saiwai de are |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | 幸いではない 幸いじゃない | さいわいではない さいわいじゃない | saiwai de wa nai saiwai ja nai |
| Informal past | 幸いだった | さいわいだった | saiwai datta |
| Informal negative past | 幸いではなかった 幸いじゃなかった | さいわいではなかった さいわいじゃなかった | saiwai de wa nakatta saiwai ja nakatta |
| Formal | 幸いです | さいわいです | saiwai desu |
| Formal negative | 幸いではありません 幸いじゃありません | さいわいではありません さいわいじゃありません | saiwai de wa arimasen saiwai ja arimasen |
| Formal past | 幸いでした | さいわいでした | saiwai deshita |
| Formal negative past | 幸いではありませんでした 幸いじゃありませんでした | さいわいではありませんでした さいわいじゃありませんでした | saiwai de wa arimasen deshita saiwai ja arimasen deshita |
| Conjunctive | 幸いで | さいわいで | saiwai de |
| Conditional | 幸いなら（ば） | さいわいなら（ば） | saiwai nara (ba) |
| Provisional | 幸いだったら | さいわいだったら | saiwai dattara |
| Volitional | 幸いだろう | さいわいだろう | saiwai darō |
| Adverbial | 幸いに | さいわいに | saiwai ni |
| Degree | 幸いさ | さいわいさ | saiwaisa |

#### Adverb

幸(さいわ)い • (saiwai)
* fortunately, luckily, happily
    幸(さいわい)、怪(け)我(が)人(にん)はでなかった。
       Saiwai, keganin wa denakatta.
       Luckily, no one was hurt.

##### Usage notes

When used as an adverb without a particle, this term usually comes at the start of the sentence. It also appears used with adverbial particles に (ni) and と (to), or, perhaps more commonly, in an adverbial construction as 幸なことに.

#### Noun

幸(さいわ)い • (saiwai)
* very good fortune and happiness, especially as bestowed by gods, spirits, buddhas, or other entities
* an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
* (derivation unknown) the tail and back fins of a carp or other fish, as used in cooking

##### Synonyms

* (favorable occurrence): 幸(しあわ)せ (shiawase)
* (happiness): 幸(しあわ)せ (shiawase), 幸(こう)福(ふく) (kōfuku)
* (fish tail and back fins): 尾(お)鰭(ひれ) (ohire)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 幸
* さきわ Grade: 3
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 幸
/sakipapi/ → /sakiɸaɸi/ → /sakiwahi/ → /sakiwai/
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う (sakiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (saki, “good fortune, happiness”) +‎ 這う (hau, “to spread out widely”).
Most often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [sa̠kʲiβ̞a̠i]

#### Noun

幸(さきわ)い • (sakiwai)
* (obsolete) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
* (obsolete) good luck or good fortune itself

##### Usage notes

Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above.

##### Synonyms

* (good fortune): 幸(こう)福(ふく) (kōfuku); 幸(さいわ)い (saiwai); 幸(さち) (sachi)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 幸
* さちわ Grade: 3
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 幸
/sat͡ɕipapi/ → /sat͡ɕiɸaɸi/ → /sat͡ɕiwahi/ → /sat͡ɕiwai/
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 幸う (sachiwau, “to meet with good fortune; to prosper”), itself a compound of 幸 (sachi, “good fortune, happiness”) +‎ 這う (hau, “to spread out widely”).
Most often spelled as 幸い with the final い to indicate the reading.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [sa̠t͡ɕiβ̞a̠i]

#### Noun

幸(さちわ)い • (sachiwai)
* (obsolete, rare) an occurrence of good luck or good fortune
* (obsolete, rare) good luck or good fortune itself

##### Usage notes

Obsolete in modern Japanese, replaced by saiwai above. In historical Japanese, sachiwai appears to be a rarer variant of sakiwai above.

##### Synonyms

* (good fortune): 幸(こう)福(ふく) (kōfuku); 幸(さいわ)い (saiwai); 幸(さち) (sachi)

### References

* 1 2 3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN