ατύχημα
Wordform Details
Translation: accidentmishapmisfortune
Part of Speech: noun
Inflection Type:
neutersingularnominativeIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: ατύχημα
Translation: accident; mishap; misfortune; unfortunate incident (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek ἀτύχημα (atýchēma), derived from ἀ- (a-, negative prefix) + τύχη (týchē, 'fortune, luck') + -μα (-ma, result suffix). The root τύχη is cognate with English 'fortune' through Latin fortuna. The word literally means 'a result of bad luck' or 'misfortune.' This etymology helps explain why Greek uses the same root for both random chance and accidents - they're both seen as products of fortune or its absence.
Example Usage
Έγινε ατύχημα στον αυτοκινητόδρομο.
There was an accident on the highway.
Το ατύχημα συνέβη χθες το βράδυ.
The accident happened last night.
Καλέστε την αστυνομία για το ατύχημα.
Call the police about the accident.
Έγινε ατύχημα στον δρόμο.
There was an accident on the road.
Ευτυχώς δεν υπήρξαν θύματα στο ατύχημα.
Fortunately there were no casualties in the accident.
Mnemonics
- Think 'a-TUCK-ee-ma' - when you get 'tucked' (hit) in an accident
- Remember 'a-' (not) + 'tyche' (luck) = not lucky = accident
Synonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Commonly used in news reports, insurance contexts, and everyday conversation when discussing traffic accidents, workplace incidents, or general mishaps. Often accompanied by expressions of sympathy or concern.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: ατύχημα (accident) vs τύχη (luck) - they share the same root but have opposite meanings due to the negative prefix α-
Notes: The α- prefix negates the concept of good fortune, turning luck into misfortune
Mnemonic: α-τύχημα = 'a-' (without) luck = accident; τύχη = pure luck