mi dispiace
In Italian, 'sorry to hear that' is expressed as mi dispiace.
mi dispiace is an expression used to show sympathy or sadness when someone shares bad news. You can intensify this feeling of sympathy by saying mi dispiace molto (I am very sorry), or express a very deep sense of sympathy by saying mi dispiace immensamente (I'm deeply sorry). To react to a specific unfortunate event, a common way to expand the phrase is to say mi dispiace molto per quello che è successo (I am very sorry for what happened).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mi dispiace literally translates to 'it displeases me'.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between expressing sympathy and apologizing. Use mi dispiace to show sympathy for someone's situation, whereas scusa or scusi is used to apologize for a mistake or to ask for forgiveness.
How does it change in a sentence?
To increase the intensity of your sympathy, you can add molto (much/very) to the phrase, resulting in mi dispiace molto.
Did you know?
- While mi dispiace expresses sympathy, Italians may use the word condoglianze specifically when someone has died, as mi dispiace can feel too casual for a funeral.
- If you are reacting to bad news in a formal setting, you might hear mi rincresce, which is a more sophisticated and literary version of mi dispiace.
- The word dispiacere is a cognate of the English word 'displeasure', but in Italian it is the standard way to show empathy, whereas 'displeasure' in English often implies annoyance.
Examples in context
- Mi dispiace sentirlo.I'm sorry to hear that.This sentence is useful for saying 'I'm sorry to hear that.' using the form mi dispiace.Tatoeba #701154 by Guybrush88, translation #41762 by CK
- Mi dispiace molto per la tua perdita.I am very sorry for your loss.
- Mi dispiace sentire che non ti senti bene.I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well.
Example conversation
Sofia tells Alessandro that she lost her wallet.
- AlessandroCome stai, Sofia?How are you, Sofia?
- SofiaHo perso il mio portafoglio oggi.I lost my wallet today.
- AlessandroDavvero? Mi dispiace.Really? I'm sorry to hear that.
- SofiaGrazie, Alessandro.Thank you, Alessandro.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
