Pech
/pɛç/
The German word for unlucky is Pech.
Pech is used to refer to bad luck or misfortune. If you want to express a lighthearted or slightly humorous sense of frustration similar to "Darn it", you can use Verflixt.
Meaning: having ill luck (adj)
Which one should you use?
While Pech refers to bad luck or misfortune, the word Glück is used to mean good luck. Additionally, do not confuse Pech with unglücklich, which is used to describe being unhappy or miserable rather than having bad luck.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Pech is a noun, it is used with verbs like haben (to have) rather than as an adjective describing a person.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛç/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use the adjective unglücklich to mean "unlucky" in the sense of having bad luck. Instead, use Pech with a verb.
When do people say it?
Pech gehabt! is a common idiomatic way to say "Bad luck!" or "Tough luck!" when something goes wrong.
Did you know?
- The German word for bad luck, Pech, actually shares its origin with the word for 'pitch' or 'tar'. It is believed that the sticky, dark substance was associated with misfortune.
Examples in context
- Ich habe kein Pech.I'm not unlucky.This sentence shows how to express that you are not unlucky using Pech.Tatoeba #10063582 by wolfgangth, translation #3329964 by CK
- Ich hatte großes Pech.I was very unlucky.This sentence shows how to express that you were very unlucky using Pech.Tatoeba #13536911 by Waldelfe, translation #3818976 by CK
- Tom hatte noch nie Pech.Tom never was unlucky.This sentence shows that someone has never been unlucky using Pech.Tatoeba #10003122 by wolfgangth, translation #3403493 by CK
- Es ist wirklich unglücklich, dass Ihr Flug wegen des Sturms abgesagt wurde.It's really unfortunate that your flight got cancelled due to the storm.
- Mensch, du hast aber auch wirklich immer Pech gehabt!Wow, you always have such bad luck!
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are talking about a missed bus.
- LauraDer Bus ist gerade weg. Ich habe so ein Pech!The bus just left. I am so unlucky!
- FelixKomm schon, Laura, das ist nicht so schlimm.Come on, Laura, it is not that bad.
- LauraAber ich bin immer so ein Pechvogel!But I am always such an unlucky person!
- FelixDas stimmt nicht, Felix hilft dir jetzt.That is not true, Felix will help you now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Pech, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pech, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
