A close-up illustration showing a scoop of bright pink ice cream that has fallen out of its waffle cone and is melting slightly on the ground, symbolizing bad luck.

desafortunadamente

deh-sah-for-too-nah-dah-MEHN-teh

adverbB1

unfortunately?expressing bad luck or regret

Also:sadly?when something regrettable happens,regrettably?more formal usage

📝 In Action

Desafortunadamente, el tren se retrasó dos horas por la lluvia.

Unfortunately, the train was delayed two hours because of the rain.

Perdimos el partido, desafortunadamente.

We lost the game, unfortunately.

Desafortunadamente, no pudimos encontrar entradas para el concierto de anoche.

Regrettably, we couldn't find tickets for last night's concert.

Word Connections

Synonyms

lamentablemente (regrettably)
por desgracia (unfortunately (literally: by misfortune))

Antonyms

afortunadamente (fortunately)

Common Collocations

Desafortunadamente, no es posible. – Unfortunately, it is not possible.
Desafortunadamente, tengo que irme. – Unfortunately, I have to leave.

💡 Grammar Points

The '-mente' Pattern

This word, like many Spanish adverbs, is formed by taking the feminine form of an adjective (desafortunada) and adding the ending '-mente', which functions exactly like the English '-ly'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Misplacing the Adverb

Mistake: "El tren se retrasó desafortunadamente dos horas."

Correction: Desafortunadamente, el tren se retrasó dos horas. (It sounds more natural to place this type of adverb at the beginning of the sentence.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Formal vs. Casual

While common, 'desafortunadamente' is slightly more formal. For very casual speech, younger people often use 'qué mal' (what a shame) or 'por desgracia' instead.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: desafortunadamente

Question 1 of 2

Which Spanish word is the direct opposite of 'desafortunadamente'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

fortuna(fortune, luck) - noun

afortunado/a(lucky) - adjective

desafortunado/a(unlucky) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'desafortunadamente' interchangeable with 'por desgracia'?

Yes, they mean the same thing ('unfortunately' / 'sadly'). 'Desafortunadamente' is often perceived as slightly more formal or academic, while 'por desgracia' is very common in everyday speech.