Meaning and Usage
"不運" (ふうん) means "unlucky" or "misfortune." It is used to describe situations or people experiencing bad luck or unfortunate events. It often conveys a sense of sympathy or regret about circumstances beyond one's control.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "不運" in everyday conversation when talking about accidents, failures, or unexpected negative outcomes. It can describe both temporary bad luck and more serious misfortunes.
Collocations and Patterns
- 不運な人 (ふうんなひと): an unlucky person
- 不運にも (ふうんにも): unfortunately, by bad luck
- 不運な出来事 (ふうんなできごと): unlucky event
These collocations help express the degree or nature of misfortune clearly.
Register and Nuance
"不運" is a neutral term, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It is often used in news reports, conversations, and written texts to describe unfortunate events without blaming anyone.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "不運" with "運が悪い" (unlucky) which is more casual. "不運" sounds slightly more formal or literary, so choose based on context.