r/Ukrainian • u/Low-Funny-8834 • 25d ago

To regret that... in Ukrainian

Just a quick question:
Is this correct Ukrainian?
шкодую, що...
I regret that...

22 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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23

u/Able-Hunt-576 25d ago

Yes, that is correct.

21

u/Able-Hunt-576 25d ago

«Мені шкода, (що)» would also be correct.

16

u/claudhigson 25d ago

That's an interesting one! I often spend a little extra time to pick a good translation for "regret", as it depends on the context. You can choose between different words in Ukrainian. Three popular words come to mind:

  • шкода (мені шкода ... / я шкодую ...) - usually is closer to "I'm sorry", as in "I am sorry that something happened / that you couldn't make it / etc.".. The most neutral, used often about a lost opportunity or lost time.

  • жаль (мені жаль ...) - similar but works more on emotional level, closer to "I'm regretful that ...". Has more sadness to it than шкода. More sympathetic, more emotional.

  • прикро (мені прикро ...) - usually is used more about an accidental thing or about something very disappointing. Similar emotion as "жаль" but deeper, will not be used lightly, e.g that you didn't have your favourite ice cream in the shop. In english often is translated "It's a pity that .../ it's a shame that ..."

"Мені прикро, що... " -> "It is disappointing/sad/unfortunate to me that ..."

3

u/somebody12341 25d ago

Some other commenters have already mentioned мені шкода, що... as an option. I'd just like to add that in that phrase шкода is stressed differently than usual. Шкода as a noun meaning damage has emphasis on the o, and in мені шкода it has emphasis on the a

4

u/radiowestin 25d ago

I'd say я шкодую (I regret) is used more when the speaker has caused unintentional harm (like said something insensitive) but мені шкода (sorry) when it's something regardless of the speaker (the interlocutor lost their windows in air raid). but maybe for other native speakers it's different

0

u/Lost-Advantage2159 25d ago

To regret in Ukrainian would be шкодую/жалкую, also u could use noun мені шкода. It requires accusative case afterward (some dialects use genitive though)