fortunately; luckily; thankfully
A set phrase used at the beginning of a sentence or clause to express relief that something turned out well. Often followed by a positive outcome.
幸いなことに、大きな事故にはならなかった。
Fortunately, it didn't turn into a major accident.
幸いなことに、彼はすぐに回復した。
Thankfully, he recovered quickly.
運良く highlights luck or chance in a specific event, while 幸いなことに emphasizes the speaker's relief that things turned out well.
あいにく means 'unfortunately', describing an outcome that disappoints, the opposite of the relief expressed by 幸いなことに.
残念ながら introduces a regrettable fact, contrasting with 幸いなことに, which introduces a fortunate one.
Standard kanji-kana spelling for this set phrase.
Variant with 事 instead of こと; slightly more formal or written style.
Derived from the adjective 幸い (さいわい, 'fortunate') + な (attributive form) + こと ('thing') + に (adverbial particle), literally 'in a fortunate thing'. The phrase became a fixed adverbial expression.