Inafortunadamente vs Desafortunadamente

Question

I have always used desafortunadamente, but recently two native speakers in Colombia have corrected me, saying that the correct word is inafortunadamente, and that desafortunadamente doesn´t exist. I checked spanishdict.com, and the translation for unfortunately is desafortunadamente. Is anyone else aware of inafortunadamente?

Answer 1

http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=inafortunadamente

La palabra inafortunadamente no está registrada en el Diccionario. La que se muestra a continuación tiene formas con una escritura cercana.

http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=infortunadamente

infortunadamente. 1. adv. m. Sin fortuna, con desgracia.

http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=desafortunadamente

La palabra desafortunadamente no está registrada en el Diccionario. Las que se muestran a continuación tienen formas con una escritura cercana.

Here is a nice discussion of the subject, where people argue back and forth. (Not about whether people use it, clearly they do, but rather whether it is proper Spanish, or contamination from English).

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=99767

Here is a simple one, I include because a Colombian is asking.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2273153

Please, everyone note the word is infortunadamente not inafortunadamente. So if anyone is going to learn it, learn the correct spelling. - bosquederoble, Oct 21, 2014

Answer 2

As a beginner in Spanish I'd never seen either form before now (although I had seen 'desgraciadamente', which I like better because it feels a bit more different from the English). That said, both 'desafortunadamente' and 'inafortunadamente' do immediately connote their meaning to an English-speaker, like me, with only very basic Spanish. If 'desafortunadamente' is definitely recognised in most Spanish-speaking counties & is what you're accustomed to using, then I'd be inclined to go with it over 'inafortunadamente', which it seems may be a 'regional' variation. Presumably the Columbians with whom you spoke had no difficulty in understanding 'desafortunadamente', just as a native-English speaker would instinctively understand 'misfortunately' for 'unfortunately'.

However, I don't really like any of these words, which all strike me as rather too long. Doesn't 'por desgracia' slide more easily off the tongue ? Or maybe something like 'de mala suerte' ?

I always use por desgracia, because there is a chance I can say it, good advice. :D - bosquederoble, Oct 20, 2014

By which I mean I stumble over desafortunadamente every time. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 20, 2014

:-D - Faldaesque, Oct 21, 2014

Answer 3

I don't know the answer to your question but I do know that in Colombia there are words used only there in common speech. I did not hear "inafortunadamente" when I was there, but if it has been confirmed by 2 Colombians then I would say use it there for sure and not desafortunadamente. You can't do better than native speakers for learning how to express yourself in their language.

Thanks for the post. Maybe someone else will offer more specific information.

Answer 4

I haven't ever heard inafordunadamente ... Desafordunadamente is the correct standard spanish and the other one may be a coloquial version specefic to Colombia ..

You could use the other forms too ..

Like desgraciadamente or por lo desgracia .. etc.