German idioms about happiness, joy and luck

Ahead of International Day of Happiness on March 20, Meet the Germans presents some sayings about happiness and good fortune.

And it certainly doesn't come too soon, since the COVID-19 crisis has been one of the most challenging for all of us. Every day since the pandemic began, we have reshaped how we live, love, survive, work, care for our loved ones and raise our children. We have redefined what enjoying life and happiness mean. We all have to work it out for ourselves, but perhaps with a little help from our friends.

The German language offers up many linguistic options about how you can shape your future. But the idioms can be a little tricky. "Glück," for instance, can refer to happiness, but also luck. "Glücklich sein" means to be happy; "Glück haben" is to be lucky. So happiness and luck basically share the same root, and shows to some extent that happiness and luck can go hand in hand.

Then there's the word "Freude," which can also mean happiness, and joy, as well as pleasure, as in "it was my pleasure."

Click through the picture gallery to see a tribute to the German language and its expressions about happiness. We've sprinkled in a few with "luck" and "joy" for you to see the difference. It might just prompt you to ask yourself: Am I happy? How can I be content?

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