あいにく・生憎ainiku[0]heiban (flat)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Definitions
- na-adjective, adverb, no-adjectiveunfortunately; sorry, but ...
Conjugation
| Plain form | あいにく |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | あいにくです |
| Negative (dewa nai) | あいにくではない |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | あいにくではありません |
| Past (datta) | あいにくだった |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | あいにくではなかった |
| Te form (de) | あいにくで |
| Adverbial (ni) | あいにくに |
| Conditional (nara) | あいにくなら |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym折悪しくおりあしくWrittenWritten/formal prose for being caught at a bad moment, as in 「折悪しく雨が降り出した」; it stresses bad timing specifically.
- Synonym運悪くうんわるくNeutralNeutral; stresses bad luck itself, as in 「運悪く財布を落とした」, while 「生憎」 stresses things being inconvenient or ill-timed.
- Synonym残念ながらざんねんながらNeutralNeutral; expresses regret, typically when delivering bad news, as in 「残念ながら不合格です」; it centers on the speaker's regret, not on timing or luck.
- Synonym折り悪くおりわるくNeutralNeutral; means the same as 「折悪しく」 (bad timing) but is slightly more colloquial, so it suits everyday speech better.
- RelatedアンラッキーCasualColloquial loanword for unlucky or out of luck; light and casual in tone, unlike the neutral 「生憎」.
- Antonym好都合こうつごうNeutralAntonym: convenient and just right, the opposite of the ill-timed, inconvenient 「生憎」.
Default to 「生憎」 when something happens at an inconvenient moment, often to decline politely, as in 「生憎留守にしております」. Use 「折悪しく」 for bad timing in formal prose, 「運悪く」 for bad luck, and 「残念ながら」 to express regret or deliver bad news.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- ひとえに恨むこと
English equivalents
See also
