unglücklich
unhappy
Experiencing a state of sadness, grief, or emotional suffering.
EXAMPLE
Er ist schon seit Wochen unglücklich, weil er seinen Job verloren hat.
He has been unhappy for weeks because he lost his job.
unglücklich
unhappy / unfortunate
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Meanings
unglücklich
unfortunate
Caused by chance or bad luck; due to unfortunate circumstances.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist auf der Treppe unglücklich gestürzt und hat sich den Arm gebrochen.
She had an unfortunate fall on the stairs and broke her arm.
unglücklich
unfortunate
Inappropriate, clumsy, or leading to a bad result. Often refers to a choice, a formulation, or an action.
EXAMPLE
Seine Bemerkung über ihr Kleid war wirklich eine unglückliche Wortwahl.
His comment about her dress was really an unfortunate choice of words.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is the opposite of 'glücklich' (happy). The prefix 'un-' is frequently used in German to express negation or the opposite.
EXAMPLE
Sie war mit der Entscheidung sichtlich unglücklich.
She was visibly unhappy with the decision.
Context clue
The meaning changes depending on the sentence structure. If it describes a person's feeling ('sie ist unglücklich' — she is unhappy), it means 'sad'. If it describes an action ('sie ist unglücklich gefallen' — she fell unfortunately), it means 'through bad luck'. If it stands before a noun ('eine unglückliche Wahl' — an unfortunate choice), it means 'inappropriate'.
EXAMPLE
Er ist unglücklich in seine beste Freundin verliebt.
He is unhappily in love with his best friend.
Sentence structure with preposition
If you want to name the reason for the sadness, you often use the preposition 'über' (about/over) followed by the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft war unglücklich über die knappe Niederlage.
The team was unhappy about the narrow defeat.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'inappropriate' or 'clumsy', the word is often combined with nouns like 'Wahl' (choice), 'Formulierung' (wording/formulation), 'Entscheidung' (decision), or 'Zufall' (coincidence).
EXAMPLE
Es war eine unglückliche Entscheidung, das Projekt abzubrechen.
It was an unfortunate decision to cancel the project.
Compare with
unglücklich vs traurig
sad
Traurig directly describes a feeling of sorrow or dejection. Unglücklich can express the same emotional suffering, but it often sounds more comprehensive and refers more to lasting dissatisfaction or a lack of happiness in life. Traurig usually fits an immediate reaction, while unglücklich is more suitable for a situation that has lasted longer.
unglücklich
Seit Monaten ist Lea in ihrem neuen Leben unglücklich und sucht nach einer Veränderung.
Lea has been unhappy with her new life for months and is looking for a change.
traurig
Nach dem Streit war Lea traurig und wollte zunächst allein sein.
After the argument, Lea was sad and initially wanted to be alone.
In real life
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