desafortunado

Desafortunado is an adjective in Spanish meaning “unfortunate” or “unlucky.” It describes people, events, or situations marked by misfortune or an unfavorable outcome. The feminine form is desafortunada, and the plural forms are desafortunados (masculine or mixed) and desafortunadas (feminine).

Etymology: the word is formed with the prefix des- plus afortunado, from fortuna and ultimately from Latin fortunatus, meaning “lucky” or “fortune.” The prefix negates it, yielding the sense of lacking fortune.

Usage: desafortunado is used to express mild or neutral regret without strong blame. Examples include una decisión desafortunada or una coincidencia desafortunada. It can describe events, people’s circumstances, or outcomes considered unlucky. The term is common in everyday speech, journalism, and literature to convey misfortune without moral judgment.

Translations and related terms: in English it is usually rendered as “unfortunate” or “unlucky,” and in more dramatic contexts as “ill-fated.” The adverb desafortunadamente means “unfortunately.” The term is often contrasted with afortunado, its opposite. A related but stronger term is desgraciado, which conveys wretchedness or misfortune with greater severity.

Usage in culture: appears across Spanish-language media and writing to convey sympathy or mild reproach. It is generally milder than terms that express explicit moral blame, and it does not imply culpability.