残念
zannen[d͡zã̠nːẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese phrase for "too bad" is 残念 (zannen).
残念 is used to express that something is a pity or too bad. While it can be used to express sympathy toward others, it is also frequently used to express one's own disappointment or regret regarding a situation. If you wish to describe the internal feeling of regret or finding something to be a pity, you can use the verb phrase 残念に思う.
Meaning: that's a pity (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While the English "too bad" can sometimes sound sarcastic or dismissive, 残念 is generally used with sincere regret. For a more polite and refined way to say "too bad" in formal settings, you may use あいにくですが.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, adding だ to 残念 to make 残念だ creates a complete, declarative sentence meaning "it is a pity" or "it is too bad". To make the phrase polite, add です to create 残念です.
How do you pronounce it?
zannen
Did you know?
- In modern slang, 残念 is sometimes used to describe someone who is 'almost' perfect but has one major flaw, such as a handsome man with a terrible personality. In this context, it functions more like 'unfortunate' or 'a letdown' than a simple expression of pity.
- The characters in 残念 literally translate to 'lingering thoughts' or 'remaining feelings'.
- While 残念 expresses a pity about a result, the word 惜しい is used when something was 'too bad' because it almost succeeded. This distinguishes between a general pity and a 'near miss'.
Examples in context
- 残念ですが。That's too bad.This sentence shows how to use 残念 to express that something is too bad.Tatoeba #169258 by bunbuku, translation #433625 by CK
- 釣りに行けなくて残念だ。It's too bad we're not out fishing.This sentence shows how to use 残念 to express disappointment about not being able to go fishing.Tatoeba #10917140 by SomeHungryBois, translation #2006515 by CK
- 残念、今ので最後なんだよ。Too bad, it's the last one now.This sentence shows a casual use of 残念 to indicate that something is the last of its kind.Tatoeba #10899580 by small_snow, translation #12007088 by Winter
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a cancelled outdoor concert.
- 陽葵 Himariイベントが中止になって残念だね。Ibento ga chuushi ni natte zannen da ne.It's too bad the event was cancelled.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に。すごく楽しみにしていたんだ。Hontou ni. Sugoku tanoshimi ni shite ita nda.Really. I was really looking forward to it.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔君も残念だったね。Hiroto-kun mo zannen datta ne.It was too bad for you too, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hiroto次は絶対に行こう。Tsugi wa zettai ni ikou.Let's definitely go next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 残念, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 残念, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
