malchance
Il a eu une série de malchances toute la semaine.
He's had a streak of bad luck all week.
lack of good luck; misfortune
Par malchance, il a raté son train.
Unfortunately, he missed his train.
Elle attribue ses échecs à la malchance plutôt qu'à son manque de préparation.
She attributes her failures to bad luck rather than her lack of preparation.
Often used to describe a series of unfortunate events or a general state of misfortune.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid literal translation of 'bad luck' as 'mauvaise chance'
In French, 'malchance' is the natural term for bad luck, whereas 'mauvaise chance' sounds overly literal or awkward. Use 'malchance' unless emphasizing the adjective form.
Gold Rule
Use 'malchance' for general misfortune
Prefer 'malchance' over 'mauvais sort' or 'infortune' in everyday speech unless a poetic or dramatic tone is intended.
Word Origin
From Old French *male chance* (bad luck), composed of *mal* (bad) and *chance* (luck, from Latin *cadentia* meaning 'falling', via Old Italian *cianza*).
Usage Notes
Used in both formal and informal contexts. In spoken French, *poisse* is a more colloquial synonym, while *malchance* is neutral.