How to Write 运 (yùn) — Meaning “to transport; luck; movement”

Imagine a cloud (云) that is walking (辶) across the sky—this moving cloud can bring either good or bad weather, just like luck (运气). So you can remember that a walking cloud represents both transport and luck.

First write the radical 辶 with three strokes: dot, curved horizontal with a hook, then a long downward stroke that loops. Then add 云 on the right, which starts with a horizontal stroke followed by two more strokes. A common mistake is making the 辶 too small or the 云 too wide, so keep them balanced.

The key difference is the right side: 运 has 云 (cloud), 巡 has 川 (three short strokes like a river), and 边 has 力 (power). In meaning, 运 is about transport or luck, 巡 means 'to patrol' (walking in a circuit), and 边 means 'side' or 'edge'.

运 appears in very common words like 运动 (sports/exercise), 运气 (luck), and 运输 (transportation). You will often hear it in daily phrases such as '祝你好运' (wish you good luck) or see it on signs for buses and logistics. Culturally, talking about 运气 is a natural way to discuss fate or chance in Chinese conversations.

Common words containing 运 include: 运动 (yùn dòng) — sports; exercise; movement; 运气 (yùn qì) — luck; fortune; 运输 (yùn shū) — transport; transportation.