Desgraciadamente, no se ha quedado.
Unfortunately, they didn't stay.
The speaker is sorry about a bit of bad news. The word sounds a little more formal than a plain sigh.
From Un experto en diversiones · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "unfortunately" in Spanish
desgraciadamente
adverbnever changessix syllables
"Unfortunately" in Spanish is desgraciadamente or lamentablemente. Both usually open the sentence, followed by a comma: Desgraciadamente, tengo que salir. The shorter por desgracia means the same, and in Latin America desafortunadamente is very common.
Hear "desgraciadamente" in real movie scenes
Two lines that open with bad news. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Desgraciadamente, Mitch-
Unfortunately, Mitch...
The sentence stops after one word, and that's enough: once someone starts with desgraciadamente, the listener knows bad news is coming.
From Sin salida · Spanish audio
Four ways to say unfortunately
They all work. The difference is length and where you hear them most.
| Spanish | Where and how | Example |
|---|---|---|
| desgraciadamente | Everywhere, a bit formal | Desgraciadamente, no está aquí. |
| lamentablemente | Everywhere, polite; common in the news | Lamentablemente, no voy a poder ir hoy. |
| por desgracia | Everywhere, short and conversational | Por desgracia, no hay tiempo. |
| desafortunadamente | Especially common in Latin America | Desafortunadamente, está cerrado. |
Tip: Careful with desgraciado: as an adjective it means unlucky or wretched, but calling someone un desgraciado is an insult.
Grammar: desgraciadamente and the -mente adverbs
How the word is built, said and placed.
Feminine adjective + -mente
desgraciada + mente. Spanish makes adverbs from the feminine form, the way English adds -ly: lamentable, lamentablemente.Two stressed syllables
The adjective keeps its stress and -men- gets one too: dehs-grah-SYAH-dah-MEHN-teh. Say it slowly the first few times.First or last
At the start, add a comma: Desgraciadamente, no está aquí. It can also close a short answer: No, lamentablemente.The short version
Por desgracia has the same meaning and fewer syllables: Por desgracia, tengo que salir.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Desgraciadamente, tengo que salir.
Unfortunately, I have to leave.
Lamentablemente, nada.
Nothing, unfortunately.
Lamentablemente, fue un accidente.
Unfortunately, it was an accident.
Eh, no, lamentablemente.
Uh, no, unfortunately.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Desgraciado, no puedo
✓Desgraciadamente, no puedo
Desgraciado is an adjective, and used for a person it's an insult. Add -mente to get the adverb.
✗desgraciamente
✓desgraciadamente
The adverb is built on desgraciada, so the -da- has to stay.
✗¡Desgraciadamente! (reacting to a friend's bad news)
✓¡Qué pena!
To react to someone else's news, say ¡Qué pena! or ¡Qué lástima! Desgraciadamente introduces news of your own.
Real conversation: no time for lunch
A short dialog with a friend you meet on the street at noon.
At noon you run into your friend Iván on the street. He wants you to come to lunch, but you have to leave right away.
¿Vienes a comer?
Are you coming to lunch?
Pues desgraciadamente, hoy no.
Well, unfortunately, not today.
¡Vaya! ¿Y por qué?
Oh no! Why not?
Your turn to answer
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How to remember it
Split it: des-gracia-da-mente. Gracia is grace, as in gracias, and des- takes it away. No grace, no luck.
Questions about "unfortunately" in Spanish
How do you say unfortunately in Spanish?
Desgraciadamente or lamentablemente. Por desgracia is shorter, and desafortunadamente is common in Latin America.
What's the difference between desgraciadamente and lamentablemente?
They mean the same. Lamentablemente is close to English "regrettably", and you hear it a lot in news and official announcements.
Is desafortunadamente correct Spanish?
Yes. It's in the dictionary and widely used, especially in Latin America.
How do you say "unfortunately not" in Spanish?
Desgraciadamente, no or Lamentablemente, no. In casual talk, Por desgracia, no works too.
