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desafortunadamente

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

“desafortunadamente” means “unfortunately” in Spanish (expressing bad luck or regret).

unfortunately

Also: sadly, regrettably
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.

📝 In Action

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

B1

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

Perdimos el partido, desafortunadamente.

B1

We lost the game, unfortunately.

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

B2

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

Word Connections

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

Common Collocations

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

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "desafortunadamente" in Spanish:

regrettably→sadly→unfortunately→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desafortunadamente

Question 1 of 2

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

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

This word is a combination of three pieces: the negative prefix 'des-' (like 'un-' in English), the root word 'fortuna' (meaning luck or fortune), and the suffix '-mente' (which creates adverbs, like '-ly'). It literally means 'in an unlucky manner'.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: desafortunadamenteItalian: sfortunatamente

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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.