残念
zannen[d͡zã̠nːẽ̞ɴ]
In Japanese, 残念 (zannen) is used to say "what a shame".
残念 is an expression used to convey that you are disappointed about a situation. It can be used as a standalone exclamation to express disappointment in response to news. While the English word "shame" can sometimes imply moral disgrace, 残念 refers strictly to a sense of disappointment or a missed opportunity.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the expression polite, you can add the copula です to form 残念です. To make it casual, you can add the copula だ to form 残念だ.
How do you pronounce it?
zannen
Did you know?
- Although 残念 is used for disappointment, it is not used to express sympathy for a tragedy or a death, as it would sound too casual or self-centered.
- The word 残念 is often used in sports broadcasting to describe a 'near miss', such as a ball narrowly missing a goal, even when no one is actually feeling sad.
- The literal translation of 残念 is 'remaining feeling'. It suggests that a specific thought or emotion is lingering in your heart because a desired outcome was not met.
Examples in context
- 残念だったね。What a shame.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 残念 to express disappointment.Tatoeba #169267 by KK_kaku_, translation #2303351 by FeuDRenais2
- それは残念ですね。Sore wa zannen desu ne.That is a shame.
- 試合に負けたのは残念です。Shiai ni maketa no wa zannen desu.It is a shame that we lost the match.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about a cancelled trip.
- 美咲 Misaki旅行が中止になったよ。Ryokō ga chūshi ni natta yo.The trip has been cancelled.
- 健太 Kentaえっ、それは残念だね。E, sore wa zannen da ne.What? That's a shame.
- 美咲 Misaki明日から行くはずだったのに。Ashita kara iku hazu datta noni.And we were supposed to go starting tomorrow.
- 健太 Kentaまた計画を立てよう。Mata keikaku o tateyō.Let's make another plan.
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.
