A colorful storybook illustration of a picnic scene. A red and white checkered blanket is spread on bright green grass. A perfect sandwich sits on the blanket. Directly above the sandwich, a small, dark rain cloud is pouring a single stream of rain onto the food, symbolizing bad luck.

desgraciadamente

des-grah-see-ah-dah-men-tay

adverbB1

unfortunately?Expressing regret or bad luck

Also:regrettably?Used in more formal contexts,sadly?When the misfortune evokes sadness

📝 In Action

Desgraciadamente, la tienda cerró cinco minutos antes de que llegáramos.

Unfortunately, the store closed five minutes before we arrived.

Perdimos el partido. Desgraciadamente, el árbitro no vio la falta.

We lost the game. Regrettably, the referee didn't see the foul.

El concierto se canceló, desgraciadamente, por la lluvia.

The concert was canceled, sadly, because of the rain.

Word Connections

Synonyms

desafortunadamente (unfortunately)
lamentablemente (regrettably)

Antonyms

afortunadamente (fortunately)
dichosamente (happily/luckily)

Common Collocations

Desgraciadamente, no es posible. – Unfortunately, it's not possible.

💡 Grammar Points

The '-mente' Adverb Pattern

This word is an adverb (it modifies the whole sentence) created by adding the ending '-mente' (which means '-ly' in English) to the feminine form of the adjective, 'desgraciada'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Misplacing the Adverb

Mistake: "Using 'Desgraciadamente está la situación mala.'"

Correction: Say 'Desgraciadamente, la situación está mala.' The word usually goes at the beginning of the sentence or right next to the verb it describes.

⭐ Usage Tips

Setting the Tone

When starting a sentence with 'desgraciadamente,' always follow it with a comma (Desgraciadamente, ...), especially in writing, to make the flow sound more natural.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: desgraciadamente

Question 1 of 2

Which word is the best replacement for 'desgraciadamente' in this sentence: 'Desgraciadamente, el tren se retrasó'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

desgracia(misfortune, disgrace) - noun

desgraciado(unfortunate, wretched) - adjective

gracia(grace, charm, joke) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Desgraciadamente and desafortunadamente are the same?

Yes, they mean exactly the same thing ('unfortunately') and are completely interchangeable in most situations. 'Desafortunadamente' is built on the word for 'fortune' (fortuna), while 'desgraciadamente' is built on 'grace' (gracia).

Where should I put 'desgraciadamente' in a sentence?

The most common and natural place is at the very beginning of the sentence (followed by a comma). You can also place it right after the verb, but using it at the start is usually the clearest way to express your feeling about the whole situation.