afortunado
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “afortunado” mean in English?
fortunate, lucky — having good fortune; favoured by circumstances
fortunate, lucky — having good fortune; favoured by circumstances (persona afortunada, coincidencia afortunada)
Example sentences
Fue muy afortunado que el incendio se detectara de madrugada, cuando el edificio estaba vacío y no hubo víctimas.
It was very fortunate that the fire was detected in the early hours, when the building was empty and there were no casualties.
Somos afortunados de vivir en una sociedad donde la libertad de prensa está protegida por la constitución.
We are fortunate to live in a society where press freedom is protected by the constitution.
How to use it
Afortunado/a means 'fortunate, lucky' — having good fortune; favoured by circumstances. Common constructions: ser afortunado de + infinitive, qué afortunado (exclamative). Ser/estar: ser for character ('es una persona afortunada'); estar for a specific instance ('estuvimos afortunados en esa decisión'). Collocations: coincidencia afortunada, elección afortunada.
Common mistake
Afortunado ≠ feliz: afortunado refers to circumstances (external luck); feliz refers to an internal emotional state. 'Soy feliz' = I feel happy; 'soy afortunado' = I have been favoured by fortune.