Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| نَحْس | naḥs |
| سُوءُ الحَظّ | sūʔu l-ḥaẓẓ |
| بَلاء | balāʔ |
Arabic uses different words for misfortune depending on the context. You can use نَحْس to describe a specific streak of bad luck or to refer to something that acts as a jinx. It can also function as an adjective to describe a person or a specific day, such as a "bad luck day" (يوم نَحْس). The term سُوءُ الحَظّ provides a more general description of misfortune, while بَلاء refers to a much heavier concept of an affliction or a severe calamity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase سُوءُ الحَظّ is composed of sūʔ meaning "badness/evil" and al-ḥaẓẓ meaning "the luck".
Which one should you use?
نَحْس is often used for a specific streak of bad luck or a person/object that brings bad luck, whereas سُوءُ الحَظّ is a more general description of misfortune. In contrast, بَلاء carries a much heavier connotation of a divine trial or a severe affliction rather than simple "bad luck".
How do you pronounce it?
naḥs
Did you know?
- The term نَحْس is linguistically linked to the planet Saturn, which in ancient Arabic astrology was considered the source of misfortune and bad omens.
- To ward off the 'bad luck' brought by the 'evil eye', people often use a blue bead or a hand symbol called a خميسة, which is believed to reflect misfortune away from the owner.
- In certain spoken dialects, instead of saying 'bad luck', people might say يا حظي with a specific sarcastic tone to express frustration at a stroke of misfortune.
Examples in context
- هذا نَحْسٌ حَقّاً.hadha nahsun haqqan.This is truly bad luck.
- كَأَنَّهُ نَحْسٌ مُسْتَمِرٌّ.ka'annahu nahsun mustamirr.It is like continuous bad luck.
- هَلْ هَذَا نَحْسٌ؟hal hadha nahsun?Is this bad luck?
Example conversation
Ziyad and Maryam are discussing their failed car engine.
- زياد Ziadهذا نَحْسٌ كَبِيرٌ، يَا مَرْيَمُ.hadha nahsun kabir, ya Maryam.This is great bad luck, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamلَقَدْ كَانَ يَوْماً صَعْباً لَكَ يَا زِيادُ.laqad kana yawman sa'ban laka ya Ziyad.It was a difficult day for you, Ziyad.
- زياد Ziadنَعَمْ، هَذَا نَحْسٌ.na'am, hadha nahsun.Yes, this is bad luck.
- مريم Maryamسَيَكُونُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ بِخَيْرٍ.sayakunu kullu shay'in bikhayr.Everything will be fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bad luck” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
