good fortune

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 吉 conveys good fortune or an auspicious meaning; its on-reading is きち.
• Basic usage: 大吉, read だいきち, means excellent luck; 不吉, read ふきつ, expresses something ominous.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reading and noun modification
  • The 吉 part is read きち in 大吉 and きつ in 不吉.
  • 不吉な予感 means an ominous feeling. 不吉な modifies the following noun, and the expression describes a sense that something bad may happen.