Translation guide
Describes someone or something that has or brings bad luck. In Japanese, this is expressed through adjectives, verbs, and set phrases depending on whether you're talking about a person, a situation, or a thing.
He is unlucky.
I was unlucky today.
A slightly more formal or written way to say unlucky. Often used in narratives.
He led an unlucky life.
Casual, spoken phrase meaning 'I'm having no luck' or 'things aren't going my way'. Often used about a specific situation.
Ah, I'm so unlucky.
To say something is unlucky or considered a bad omen.
Means something is a bad omen or brings bad luck. Used for objects, actions, or events considered unlucky.
Black cats are said to be unlucky.
It's unlucky to whistle at night.
Means ominous or ill-omened. More literary or dramatic than 縁起が悪い.
I have an unlucky feeling / a sense of foreboding.
To express that you are experiencing a run of bad luck.
To describe a specific event that turned out badly due to bad luck.
運が悪い describes a person's luck in general or in a specific situation. 縁起が悪い describes something that is believed to cause bad luck, like a superstition.
He is unlucky (as a person).
Friday the 13th is unlucky.
あいにく彼は留守だった。
Unluckily, he was out.