How to Say "Misfortune" in Japanese

不運

fuun[ɸɯ̟ɯ̟̃ɴ]

In Japanese, misfortune is said as 不運 (fuun).

不運 refers to an instance of bad luck or an undesirable event, such as an accident.

Meaning: an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of the kanji 不 (fu), meaning 'not' or 'un-' and 運 (un), meaning 'luck' or 'fortune'.

To use 不運 as an adjective to describe a noun, you add the particle な (na) to form 不運な (fuun-na).

fuun

In Japanese culture, certain numbers are avoided to prevent 不運. For example, the number 4 is often skipped because its pronunciation is the same as the word for 'death'.
The kanji 運 in 不運 also means 'transport' or 'to carry'. This links the idea of 'fortune' to the way things are carried or moved through life.
To counteract 不運, some people visit a shrine to perform 厄払い (yakubarai), a ritual specifically designed to drive away misfortune and evil spirits.

最近、いろいろな不幸が重なっていて辛いんだ。
Lately, various misfortunes have been piling up, and it's tough.
そんなに不運が続くなんて、本当についてないね。
It's really unbelievable that such a streak of bad luck continues for you.
昨日、災難が起こってしまって、大変だったよ。
Yesterday, a disaster occurred, and it was terrible.
彼の不運は続いています。
Kare no fuun wa tsuzuite imasu.
His misfortune continues.
不運な事故に遭いました。
Fuun na jiko ni aimashita.
I experienced an unfortunate accident.
それは単なる不運でした。
Sore wa tannaru fuun deshita.
That was just a stroke of bad luck.

Hina and Kenta are talking about a canceled trip.

陽葵 Himari

旅行が中止になるなんて不運だね。
Ryokō ga chūshi ni naru nante fuun da ne.
It's such a misfortune that the trip was canceled.
健太 Kenta

本当だね。天気が悪すぎたよ。
Hontō da ne. Tenki ga warusugita yo.
You're right. The weather was just too bad.
陽葵 Himari

次はいい計画を立てよう。
Tsugi wa ii keikaku o tateyō.
Let's make a better plan next time.
健太 Kenta

そうだね。次はきっと大丈夫だよ。
Sō da ne. Tsugi wa kitto daijōbu da yo.
Yeah. I'm sure it will be fine next time.

Sources

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