to regret / pity
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to regret
To feel and express remorse about an action or a situation; to be sorry about it.
Wir bedauern sehr, Ihnen mitteilen zu müssen, dass der Flug gestrichen wurde.
We very much regret having to inform you that the flight has been canceled.
to pity
To feel sympathy or pity for a person in an unfortunate situation.
Er hat alles verloren, man kann ihn wirklich nur bedauern.
He has lost everything; you really can only pity him.
The prefix 'be-' is firmly attached to the verb and is not separated. It also remains at the beginning of the word in the past participle ('bedauert') and in subordinate clauses.
Ich habe sehr bedauert, dass du nicht kommen konntest.
I very much regretted that you couldn't come.
If you 'bedauern' (regret) a thing, an action, or a state, it means 'to feel remorse'. If you 'bedauern' (pity) a person, it means 'to feel pity'.
Ich bedauere diesen Fehler zutiefst.
I deeply regret this mistake.
To express what one regrets, a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to) often follows.
Der Sprecher bedauerte, keine besseren Nachrichten überbringen zu können.
The spokesperson regretted not being able to deliver better news.
'Bedauern' (to regret) is often used in formal written and spoken communication, for example in business letters, official notices, or polite rejections.
Wir bedauern, Ihre Bewerbung nicht berücksichtigen zu können.
We regret that we are unable to consider your application.
too bad
Schade directly describes a circumstance as regrettable, while with bedauern, a person expresses regret about an action or situation. „Schade“ is often shorter and more spontaneous in everyday speech; „bedauern“ often sounds more deliberate and formal.
Ich bedauere, dass ich gestern nicht bei deinem Konzert sein konnte.
I regret that I couldn’t be at your concert yesterday.
Schade, dass ich gestern nicht bei deinem Konzert sein konnte.
It’s too bad that I couldn’t be at your concert yesterday.
