真倒霉
zhēn dǎomei
What bad luck · trad. 真倒楣
真倒霉 (zhēn dǎoméi) means 'what bad luck' or 'how unlucky'. Speakers use it to express frustration or disappointment when things go wrong or when experiencing misfortune.
What does 真倒霉 (zhēn dǎomei) mean?
真倒霉 (zhēn dǎomei) means “what bad luck” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “really unlucky.”
When to use it
Casual and commonly used among friends or family. It's an exclamation of personal misfortune. For a slightly milder expression, one might say 不走运 (bù zǒuyùn), 'not lucky'.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like 'juhn DOW-may'. 真 has a high, flat tone, while 倒 is a falling tone, and 霉 is a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 倒霉dǎomeiunlucky (can be used alone)
- 真不走运zhēn bù zǒuyùnreally unlucky (a bit softer)
- 运气不好yùnqi bù hǎobad luck
Examples
今天出门就下雨，真倒霉！
jīntiān chūmén jiù xiàyǔ, zhēn dǎomei!
Today it rained as soon as I left, what bad luck!
我把手机弄丢了，真倒霉。
wǒ bǎ shǒujī nòngdiū le, zhēn dǎomei.
I lost my phone, how unlucky.
他总是遇到倒霉的事情。
tā zǒngshì yùdào dǎomei de shìqing.
He always encounters unlucky things.
Pro tip: 倒霉 (dǎoméi) can function as a verb meaning 'to have bad luck' or an adjective meaning 'unlucky'. It's a common way to grumble about minor misfortunes.
Related phrases
真遗憾 · That's a shame吓我一跳 · You startled me原来如此 · So that's how it is
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