Meaning and Usage
"不幸" (ふこう) primarily means "unhappiness," "misfortune," or "sorrow." It is often used to describe unfortunate events or states of sadness.
Common Contexts
You will frequently see 不幸 used in news reports or conversations about accidents, failures, or sad events. It can describe both specific incidents (like accidents) and general states of being unlucky or unhappy.
Collocations and Patterns
- 不幸な事故 (unfortunate accident): used to describe accidents with negative outcomes.
- 不幸にも (unfortunately): an adverbial phrase to express regret or bad luck.
- 不幸が起こる (misfortune happens): a common expression to talk about bad events occurring.
Register and Nuance
不幸 is a somewhat formal word and often appears in written language or polite speech. It is less casual than words like "かわいそう" (pitiful) or "ついてない" (unlucky).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 不幸 with 幸せ (しあわせ, happiness). Remember that 不幸 always has a negative meaning related to sadness or bad luck.