Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 倒霉 | dǎoméi |
| 運氣不好 / 运气不好 | yùnqi bùhǎo |
| 壞運氣 / 坏运气 | huài yùnqi |
| 噩運 / 噩运 | èyùn |
| 不幸 | bùxìng |
| 霉運 | méiyùn |
Depending on the context, you can use several different terms to describe misfortune or a lack of good luck.
Which one should you use?
The terms you choose will change based on the intensity of the situation. 运气不好 is a neutral way to say one's luck is not good, describing a general state or a specific event. 坏运气 is a straightforward, casual phrase for bad luck. For more severe or heavy situations, use 噩运, which implies a catastrophic stroke of misfortune or calamity. While other terms act primarily as nouns, the colloquial term 倒霉 is often used as an adjective or verb to describe the state of being unlucky in daily life.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express frustration about a specific instance of bad luck, you can add 真 before 倒霉 to say 真倒霉 (really unlucky). You can also create a noun meaning an unlucky person or a 'loser' by adding 蛋 to the end, forming 倒霉蛋.
How do you pronounce it?
dǎoméi
Did you know?
- The word 霉 in 倒霉 literally means 'mold' or 'mildew'. In a cultural sense, bad luck is conceptualized as a damp, rotting state that clings to a person.
- The phrase 运气 (luck) is composed of the characters for 'transport' or 'movement' and 'energy' or 'air', implying that luck is a type of moving force.
- The character 蛋 in 倒霉蛋 means 'egg'. In Chinese slang, adding 'egg' to a word often creates a noun for a person, usually in a mocking or self-deprecating way.
Examples in context
- 他在比赛中遇到了不幸，摔倒了。He had a stroke of bad luck during the competition and fell down.
- 这真是倒霉，我把手机掉进水里了。This is so unlucky! I dropped my phone into the water.
- 我们今天都很倒楣，连续丢了三场比赛。We've been so unlucky today, losing three matches in a row.
- 今天真倒霉。Jīntiān zhēn dǎoméi.Today is really unlucky.
- 我最近总是很倒霉。Wǒ zuìjìn zǒngshì hěn dǎoméi.I have been having bad luck lately.
- 别因为这件事觉得倒霉。Bié yīnwèi zhè jiàn shì juédé dǎoméi.Don't feel unlucky because of this matter.
Example conversation
志强 accidentally spilled coffee on his shirt before a meeting.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你怎么这么倒霉？Nǐ zěnme zhème dǎoméi?Why are you so unlucky?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我刚把咖啡洒了。Wǒ gāng bǎ kāfēi sǎ le.I just spilled my coffee.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen真是太倒霉了。Zhēnshi tài dǎoméi le.That is truly bad luck.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没事，我换一件衣服。Méishì, wǒ huàn yī jiàn yīfú.It's okay, I'll change my clothes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bad luck” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
