malheureux
/ma.lœ.ʁø/
The English word "unhappy" is translated into French as malheureux. Wiktionary also lists triste.
Meaning: not happy, sad (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| malheureux | /ma.lœ.ʁø/ |
| triste | /tʁist/ |
malheureux can describe a person's state of being or be used to describe an unfortunate event or circumstance.
What does it mean word for word?
The word malheureux is composed of the prefix mal- (bad/un-) and heureux (happy).
Which one should you use?
While both words relate to sadness, malheureux implies a deeper, more profound state of misery or misfortune, whereas triste is used for general sadness or feeling blue.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word malheureux changes to malheureuse when the feminine form is required.
How do you pronounce it?
/ma.lœ.ʁø/
Did you know?
- The word heureux shares a root with the word heure, which means 'hour'. In French, happiness and time are etymologically linked through the concept of a 'fortunate hour'.
- The adjective triste can be used to describe a color that is dull or lacks brightness, similar to how an English speaker might describe a 'sad' grey sky.
- If you refer to a person as un malheureux, you are not just saying they are unhappy, but you are labeling them as a 'wretched' or 'pitiable' person.
Examples in context
- Tu as l'air malheureux.You look unhappy.This sentence shows how to use malheureux to describe how someone looks.Tatoeba #13358822 by lbdx, translation #5902885 by CK
- Tom est très malheureux.Tom is very unhappy.This sentence shows how to use malheureux to describe a person's state of being.Tatoeba #5671400 by Aiji, translation #2647498 by CK
- Je ne suis pas malheureux.I'm not unhappy.This sentence shows how to use a negation with malheureux.Tatoeba #4841782 by sacredceltic, translation #3329969 by CK
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about a friend who just went through a breakup.
- ChloéJe pense que Marc est vraiment malheureux.I think Marc is really unhappy.
- LucasOui, il a l'air très triste en ce moment.Yes, he looks very sad right now.
- ChloéC'est terrible d'être malheureux comme ça.It's terrible to be unhappy like that.
- LucasOn devrait l'inviter à sortir ce soir.We should invite him to go out tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unhappy” translations and entries malheureux, triste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
