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How to Say "unhappy" in Spanish

English → Spanish

triste

/TREES-teh//ˈtɾiste/

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'triste' when you want to express a general feeling of sadness or being down, often for a shorter duration.
A small, cartoonish bear sitting alone with a downturned mouth and a single tear drop falling from its eye, illustrating the emotion of sadness.

Examples

Hoy me siento un poco triste.

I feel a little sad today.

¿Por qué estás triste?

Why are you sad?

Ella se puso triste cuando se fue su amigo.

She got sad when her friend left.

Using 'Estar' for Feelings

To talk about how someone feels right now, you'll almost always use the verb 'estar' with 'triste'. For example, 'Él está triste' means 'He is sad (at this moment)'.

Describing a Feeling vs. a Personality

Mistake: “Using 'ser' for a temporary feeling, like saying 'Soy triste hoy'.”

Correction: Always use 'estar' for temporary feelings: 'Estoy triste hoy'. Using 'ser' ('soy triste') means you are a sad person in general, which is a much stronger statement about your personality.

infeliz

een-feh-LEEZ/infeˈliθ/

AdjectiveA2General
Choose 'infeliz' to describe a more profound or prolonged state of unhappiness, often linked to specific negative circumstances.
A small child sitting alone, looking sad and holding a single wilted flower.

Examples

Después de perder su trabajo, se sintió muy infeliz durante meses.

After losing his job, he felt very unhappy for months.

Ella era una niña infeliz, siempre sola en el recreo.

She was an unhappy child, always alone during recess.

Adjective Agreement (Gender)

Since 'infeliz' ends in 'z', it is the same for both masculine and feminine people and things (e.g., 'el hombre infeliz' and 'la mujer infeliz').

Adjective Agreement (Plural)

To make it plural, you change the 'z' to 'c' and add 'es': 'infeliz' becomes 'infelices' (e.g., 'las personas infelices').

Triste vs. Infeliz

Learners often use 'infeliz' for any feeling of sadness, but it carries a stronger sense of deep unhappiness. 'Triste' is the more common and versatile word for general sadness.

Related Translations

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