Meaning
霉运 literally means 'moldy luck' and refers to a streak of bad fortune or unfortunate circumstances. The character 霉 (mold/mildew) metaphorically represents something spoiled or rotten, while 运 means luck or fortune. Together they describe a period when everything seems to go wrong.
Usage
This is an informal, colloquial term commonly used in everyday conversation to complain about or describe a run of bad luck. It's more casual than literary expressions for misfortune. Often appears in phrases like 走霉运 (to have bad luck) or 倒霉运 (to suffer bad luck). Native speakers use it when venting about unfortunate situations or explaining why things aren't going well.
Examples
- 01最近我走霉运，什么事都不顺。, .I've been having bad luck lately; nothing is going smoothly.
- 02他今年真是倒了霉运，先丢了工作，又摔断了腿。, , .He's really had rotten luck this year—first he lost his job, then he broke his leg.
Characters
Common collocations
- 走霉运to have a streak of bad luck
- 倒霉运to suffer bad luck
- 摆脱霉运to get rid of bad luck
- 霉运缠身to be plagued by bad luck
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 霉 (mold/decay) with 运 (luck/fortune), using the metaphor of spoiled or moldy things to represent corrupted or bad luck. This follows a Chinese cultural pattern of using concrete physical deterioration to describe abstract negative states.