desafortunado
Lemma Details
Translation: unfortunate; unlucky; hapless; ill-fated
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from the prefix 'des-' (indicating negation or reversal) and 'afortunado' (fortunate). 'Afortunado' comes from 'fortuna' (fortune, luck), which derives from Latin 'fortuna' (fate, chance, luck). The English cognate 'unfortunate' follows the same pattern with the negative prefix 'un-' added to 'fortunate'. Both words share the same Latin root related to fortune and luck.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Fue un comentario desafortunado que ofendió a muchas personas.
It was an unfortunate comment that offended many people.
El desafortunado accidente cambió su vida para siempre.
The unfortunate accident changed his life forever.
Se siente desafortunado por haber perdido su trabajo.
He feels unfortunate for having lost his job.
La desafortunada coincidencia causó mucha confusión.
The unfortunate coincidence caused a lot of confusion.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'des' (un-) + 'fortunado' (fortunate) = 'unfortunate'
- Remember that 'des-' in Spanish often corresponds to 'un-' or 'dis-' in English
- Associate with the English word 'fortune' but with negative meaning
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Widely used in Spanish-speaking cultures to describe unfortunate situations or people who experience bad luck. The concept of fortune and misfortune is important in many Hispanic cultures, where expressions about luck and fate are common in everyday speech.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'desafortunado' means 'unfortunate' or 'unlucky', 'afortunado' means the opposite: 'fortunate' or 'lucky'. They are antonyms, with 'des-' being the negative prefix.
Notes: The prefix 'des-' in Spanish often corresponds to 'un-', 'in-', or 'dis-' in English, indicating negation or reversal of the root word.
Mnemonic: Remember 'des-' is like 'un-' in English, negating the meaning.
Explanation: 'Desafortunado' is an adjective describing a person or situation, while 'desafortunadamente' is the adverb form meaning 'unfortunately'.
Notes: The -mente ending in Spanish creates adverbs from adjectives, similar to -ly in English.
Mnemonic: Adjectives describe nouns (desafortunado hombre), while adverbs (-mente ending) modify verbs or sentences.