infortunado
Lemma Details
Translation: unfortunate; unlucky; ill-fated; hapless
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: From Latin 'infortunatus', composed of the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') and 'fortunatus' (meaning 'fortunate, lucky'). It shares the same Latin root as the English word 'unfortunate', making it a cognate. The root 'fortuna' in Latin referred to luck, chance, or fate, often personified as the goddess Fortuna who controlled the destiny of humans.
Commonality: 40%
Guessability: 80%
Register: literary, formal
Example Usage
El infortunado accidente cambió su vida para siempre.
The unfortunate accident changed his life forever.
Los infortunados habitantes perdieron sus hogares en el incendio.
The unfortunate inhabitants lost their homes in the fire.
Fue una decisión infortunada que tuvo graves consecuencias.
It was an unfortunate decision that had serious consequences.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'in' (not) + 'fortune' (luck) = 'not lucky' or 'unfortunate'
- Remember the English word 'unfortunate' but with an 'i' instead of 'un'
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
While understood by Spanish speakers, 'infortunado' is less commonly used in everyday speech than its synonym 'desafortunado'. It tends to appear more in literary contexts, formal writing, or when describing particularly tragic circumstances.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: Both mean 'unfortunate', but 'infortunado' is more literary and formal, while 'desafortunado' is more common in everyday speech.
Confused word:
Fue un comentario desafortunado en ese momento.
It was an unfortunate comment at that time.
Notes: 'Infortunado' often carries a stronger sense of tragedy or ill fate than 'desafortunado', which can refer to more mundane unfortunate situations.
Mnemonic: 'Infortunado' has an 'i' like 'literary', while 'desafortunado' has a 'd' like 'daily use'.
Explanation: 'Infortunado' means 'unfortunate', while 'informado' means 'informed' or 'knowledgeable'.
Notes: Despite looking similar, these words have completely different meanings and contexts of use.
Mnemonic: 'Infortunado' has 'fortun' in it, related to fortune/luck, while 'informado' has 'form' in it, related to information.