不幸(ふこう)

ふこう
noun, na-adjective
unhappiness, misfortune
1. unhappiness, sorrow
The state of being unhappy or unfortunate.
不幸(ふこう)な子供(こども)時代(じだい)を過(す)ごした。
I spent an unhappy childhood.
彼女(かのじょ)は不幸(ふこう)な結婚(けっこん)生活(せいかつ)に苦(くる)しんでいた。
She was suffering from an unhappy marriage.
お金(かね)があっても不幸(ふこう)な人(ひと)はたくさんいる。
There are many people who are unhappy even though they have money.
2. misfortune, bad luck
An unfortunate event or circumstance.
彼(かれ)には不幸(ふこう)が続(つづ)いた。
Misfortune continued to befall him.
不幸(ふこう)にも、事故(じこ)で大(おお)けがをした。
Unfortunately, I was seriously injured in an accident.
不幸(ふこう)にも = unfortunately
不幸(ふこう)中(ちゅう)の幸(さいわ)いで、命(いのち)に別状(べつじょう)はなかった。
As a silver lining, there was no danger to life.
不幸(ふこう)中(ちゅう)の幸(さいわ)い = a silver lining
3. death in the family (euphemism)
A polite way to refer to a death in someone's family.
家族(かぞく)に不幸(ふこう)があり、欠席(けっせき)します。
I will be absent due to a death in the family.
Euphemism for death in the family
不幸(ふこう)があったので、旅行(りょこう)は中止(ちゅうし)にした。
There was a death in the family, so I canceled the trip.
Euphemistic usage
同僚(どうりょう)のご家族(かぞく)に不幸(ふこう)があったと聞(き)いて、お悔(く)やみの言葉(ことば)を伝(つた)えた。
I heard that there was a death in a colleague's family and offered my condolences.
お悔(く)やみ = condolences

不幸(ふこう) covers three related meanings: general unhappiness, misfortune/bad luck, and (as a euphemism) a death in the family.

Common patterns

Euphemistic use

家族(かぞく)に不幸(ふこう)があった means 'there was a death in the family.' This is the standard polite way to explain absences due to bereavement in workplace and social contexts.

Similar words

Related Words

Antonym: 幸福(こうふく) (happiness)
Antonym: 幸(しあわ)せ (happiness)
Antonym: 幸(しあわ)せ (happiness)
Antonym: 幸(さいわ)い (happiness)
Compare: 不運(ふうん) (bad luck)
Compare: 災難(さいなん) (calamity, disaster)
general
Added 2026.1.13 0:32 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
03500/03595_fukou