κακοτυχία
Lemma: κακοτυχία
Translation: misfortune; bad luck; ill fortune (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek κακός (kakós, 'bad') + τύχη (túkhē, 'fortune, luck')
Mnemonics
- Think 'kako' (bad) + 'tyche' (luck) - 'kako' sounds like 'cackle' of an evil witch bringing bad luck
- Remember 'tyche' was the Greek goddess of fortune
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Often used in everyday conversation when discussing misfortunes. Greeks traditionally are quite superstitious about luck and fortune.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While κακοτυχία specifically refers to bad luck or misfortune, δυστυχία more broadly means unhappiness or misery
Confused word:
Ζει μέσα στη δυστυχία.
He lives in misery.
Notes: κακοτυχία is more specific to circumstances of fortune, while δυστυχία can refer to general state of being
Mnemonic: κακοτυχία has τύχη (luck) in it, while δυστυχία has a broader meaning