Handgemaakte kunst voor de babykamer van onze dochter

Does “geluk” mean luck or happiness in Dutch?

Decorating a nursery, a mum commissions a drawing of a Japanese cat and a frog: «die staan beiden voor goed geluk» (“both stand for good luck”). The lovely twist for learners: geluk means both “luck” and “happiness.”

So “geluk hebben” is “to be lucky,” while “geluk” on its own is also plain happiness, and gelukkig means “happy” (or “fortunately”). Dutch, like German Glück, simply doesn’t split the two. The clip’s lucky charms fit right in: the beckoning Japanese cat and the frog, both good-fortune symbols the family loves. Good luck and good cheer, one and the same.