不巧 (bù qiǎo) — unfortunately; as luck would have it (negatively)
Definition
Adverbial use meaning 'unfortunately / as luck would have it' — the timing or coincidence works out badly for the speaker. The earlier-encountered 倒霉 focuses on bad luck in general, while 不巧 highlights an unlucky coincidence at a specific moment.
adjective
unfortunatelyas luck would have it (negatively)
Examples
- 不巧，。bù qiǎo, Wǒ gāng dào chē zhàn chē jiù kāi zǒu le.Unfortunately, the bus left just as I arrived at the station.
- 不巧，。Nǐ lái de zhēn bù qiǎo, tā gāng chū mén.You came at just the wrong time — she just left.
- 不巧，，。bù qiǎo, Wǒ nà tiān yǒu bié de shì, bù néng qù cān jiā jù huì le.Unfortunately, I had other things that day and couldn't go to the party.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.