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essere infelice
/ˈɛs.se.re iɱˈfeː.li.t͡ʃe/
to be unhappy
Dopo la rottura, Maria era infelice per settimane.
After the breakup, Maria was unhappy for weeks.
informal
To experience a state of sadness or dissatisfaction; to not feel content or joyful.
Non essere infelice solo perché hai perso il lavoro.
Don't be unhappy just because you lost your job.
Era infelice nella sua relazione, ma non sapeva perché.
She was unhappy in her relationship, but she didn't know why.
Used to describe a general state of unhappiness, not necessarily clinical depression.
Collocations
essere molto infeliceto be very unhappyessere infelice per qualcosato be unhappy about something
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid overusing 'infelice'
In Italian, 'infelice' can sound formal or literary. For casual contexts, prefer 'triste' (sad) or 'scontento' (dissatisfied).
Gold Rule
Use 'essere infelice' for states, not actions
This phrase describes a state of being ('to be unhappy'), not an action ('to make someone unhappy'). For the latter, use 'rendere infelice' (e.g., 'Quel lavoro lo rende infelice').
Word Origin
From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'felix' (happy, fortunate). The verb 'essere' (to be) combines with the adjective 'infelice' (unhappy) to form a phrase expressing a state of being.
Usage Notes
Common in everyday speech to describe temporary or situational unhappiness. Often used in personal contexts like relationships, work, or life events.
Word Breakdown
essere
to be
verbinfelice
unhappy
adjectiveDizionario Italiano-Inglese