sin suerte
/sin sweɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "no luck" is translated into Spanish as sin suerte.
Although it literally translates to "without luck", the phrase sin suerte is commonly used to express that an attempt or an effort was unsuccessful.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase sin suerte is composed of the preposition sin (without) and the noun suerte (luck).
How do you pronounce it?
/sin sweɾte/
Did you know?
- While sin suerte describes a lack of luck, the word suerte can also mean 'set' or 'batch' when referring to a group of items in a commercial context.
- The word suerte comes from the Latin sortem, which originally referred to the act of casting lots to determine a fate.
- The word suerte can also mean 'fate' or 'destiny' in a more profound sense, so saying sin suerte can sometimes sound more dramatic than the casual English 'no luck'.
Examples in context
- No tuve suerte con el examen.I had no luck with the exam.
- Intenté conseguir entradas, pero sigo sin suerte.I tried to get tickets, but I'm still without luck.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about looking for a parking spot.
- ElenaElena, ¿encontraste estacionamiento?Elena, did you find parking?
- AlejandroNo, Alejandro, estoy sin suerte hoy.No, Alejandro, I have no luck today.
- ElenaYo tampoco encontré nada.I didn't find anything either.
- AlejandroBusquemos en la otra calle.Let's look on the other street.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sin, suerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
