Meaning
unfortunately
In a sentence
Purtroppo oggi non posso venire con voi.
Unfortunately, I can't come with you today.
Purtroppo hai perso il treno.
Unfortunately, you missed the train.
Purtroppo abbiamo finito il latte stamattina.
Unfortunately, we ran out of milk this morning.
Usage notes
- Often sentence-initial: Purtroppo, non posso venire. It can also go mid-sentence, but initial position sounds most natural in speech.
- Stronger and more personal than per sfortuna in many contexts; per sfortuna can sound more about bad luck than regret.
- Do not confuse with sfortunatamente: both work, but purtroppo is much more common in everyday spoken Italian.