Inklingo

How to Say "unfortunately" in Spanish

English → Spanish

desafortunadamente

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

adverbB1
Use this when you want to express that something happened due to bad luck or circumstance, often with a tone of mild regret.
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.

Examples

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.

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'.

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.)

desgraciadamente

des-grah-see-ah-dah-men-tay/des.ɣɾaˈsja.ða.men.te/

adverbB1
This is a strong option for expressing regret over a negative outcome that feels like bad luck or a misfortune.
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.

Examples

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.

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'.

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.

lamentablemente

/la-men-ta-ble-MEN-te//lamenˌtaβleˈmente/

adverbB1
Choose this when you want to explicitly state your regret or sorrow about a situation, without necessarily implying bad luck.
A sad child looking at a dropped ice cream cone on the ground.

Examples

Lamentablemente, no podemos ir a tu boda.

Unfortunately, we cannot go to your wedding.

El restaurante estaba lleno, lamentablemente.

The restaurant was full, sadly.

Lamentablemente, la medicina no funcionó como esperábamos.

Regrettably, the medicine did not work as we hoped.

The '-mente' Ending

In Spanish, adding '-mente' to the end of a feminine adjective is just like adding '-ly' in English to describe how or why something happens.

Sentence Placement

You can put this word at the very beginning of a sentence to set the mood for the whole thought, or at the end to add a touch of regret.

Missing the Comma

Mistake: “Lamentablemente no puedo ir.”

Correction: Lamentablemente, no puedo ir. (When you start a sentence with this word, you usually need a small pause shown by a comma.)

Choosing between 'desafortunadamente' and 'lamentablemente'

Learners often confuse 'desafortunadamente' and 'lamentablemente'. Remember that 'desafortunadamente' leans towards expressing bad luck or unfortunate circumstances, while 'lamentablemente' focuses more directly on expressing regret or sorrow about the situation itself.

Related Translations

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