If someone tells you some bad news, you can show sympathy in many different ways.
Fixed expressions
You can use fixed expressions like Oh, no! or Oh, dear!:
Ann: I crashed my car. Ann: I failed the exam.
Bob: Oh, no!
Bob: Oh, dear! I’m sorry to hear that.
Or you can use the phrases What a shame!, What a pity!, That’s a shame or That’s a pity:
Ann: I didn’t get the job.
Ann: I can’t go to the party.
Bob: Oh, what a pity!
Bob: Oh, that’s a shame.
Alternatively, you can say Poor you! (= I feel sorry for you.)
Ann: I’ve got a report to write.
Bob: Oh, poor you!
Adjectives and nouns
A common way to show sympathy is to use That’s… or How… followed by an adjective such as awful, terrible, dreadful or sad:
Ann: My boyfriend left me.
Bob: Oh, how sad!
Bob: Oh, no! That’s awful!
Bob: Oh, how dreadful (for you)!
Or use What (a)... followed by a noun or an adjective + noun:
- What a disappointment for you!
- What bad luck!
- What a terrible thing to happen!
Imagining the situation
To imagine how the other person may have felt, you can use must have + past participle:
- Oh, dear! It must have been terrible for you.
- You must have felt very disappointed.
- That must have been a real shock.
Or you can use I’m sure... or I can imagine...:
- I can imagine how difficult it was for you.
- I can just imagine how you felt.
- I’m sure it was very difficult.
Cheer up!
If you try to make people forget a problem or feel better about it, you cheer them up. Some common expressions are:
Never mind (= It’s not important.)
Ann: My plants have died. Bob: Never mind. We’ll get more.
Don’t worry
Ann: I haven’t got any money. Bob: Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty.
Cheer up!
Ann: I feel so lonely Bob: Cheer up! Let’s go out and have a good time.
Condolences
When someone dies, we offer ourcondolences (sein Beileid aussprechen). You may use a formal expression to do this (spoken or written):
- I’d like to offer you my (sincere) condolences.
- My condolences on the death of your grandfather.
But people often express condolences more personally and informally:
- I’m so sorry to hear your sad news.
- It must be a difficult time for you.
- Our thoughts are with you.
Sympathize, sympathy, sympathetic
If you understand how people feel, you sympathize with them, you show sympathy or you are being sympathetic. A sympathetic person can be someone who attracts your liking, but also someone who understands how others feel:
- She’s a very sympathetic person. You can go to her with all your problems. (= She will listen and understand.)