A1 Expression Neutral

That's terrible!

Expresses dismay.

Bedeutung

Used to express shock or sadness about something bad.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Americans often use 'That's terrible!' very quickly in conversation to show they are listening. It doesn't always mean the situation is a disaster; it's just a way to be polite. In the UK, people might use 'That's terrible' but also frequently use 'That's a bit of a nightmare' or 'That's rubbish' for similar situations. Australians might use 'That's no good' or 'That's a shocker' as alternatives to 'That's terrible.' In international business, 'That's terrible' is a safe way to show empathy to a client or colleague without being too emotional or unprofessional.

💡

Tone Matters

Say it with a slightly lower pitch and a sad face to sound sincere. If you say it too fast, you might sound like you don't care.

⚠️

The 'Terrific' Trap

Never use 'terrific' for bad news. It is a very common mistake for beginners and can hurt people's feelings!

Bedeutung

Used to express shock or sadness about something bad.

💡

Tone Matters

Say it with a slightly lower pitch and a sad face to sound sincere. If you say it too fast, you might sound like you don't care.

⚠️

The 'Terrific' Trap

Never use 'terrific' for bad news. It is a very common mistake for beginners and can hurt people's feelings!

Teste dich selbst

Choose the best reaction to this sentence: 'I lost my new watch at the beach.'

I lost my new watch at the beach.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: b

Losing a watch is a bad thing, so 'That's terrible!' is the correct empathetic response.

Complete the sentence with the correct word.

Oh no! Your car broke down? That's _______!

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

We use the adjective 'terrible' after 'That's' to describe the situation.

Match the situation to the best response.

1. Friend has a cold. 2. Friend won the lottery. 3. Friend is late.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

We use 'terrible' for bad things like being sick.

What would Speaker B say?

Speaker A: 'The restaurant was so loud I couldn't hear anything.' Speaker B: '_______'

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

Speaker B is showing sympathy for Speaker A's bad experience.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

When to say 'That's terrible!'

🍀

Bad Luck

  • Lost keys
  • Missed bus
  • Rainy day
🤒

Bad Health

  • Cold/Flu
  • Headache
  • Broken leg
🍕

Bad Quality

  • Burnt food
  • Boring movie
  • Broken toy

Aufgabensammlung

4 Aufgaben
Choose the best reaction to this sentence: 'I lost my new watch at the beach.' Choose A1

I lost my new watch at the beach.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: b

Losing a watch is a bad thing, so 'That's terrible!' is the correct empathetic response.

Complete the sentence with the correct word. Fill Blank A1

Oh no! Your car broke down? That's _______!

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

We use the adjective 'terrible' after 'That's' to describe the situation.

Match the situation to the best response. situation_matching A1

1. Friend has a cold. 2. Friend won the lottery. 3. Friend is late.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

We use 'terrible' for bad things like being sick.

What would Speaker B say? dialogue_completion A2

Speaker A: 'The restaurant was so loud I couldn't hear anything.' Speaker B: '_______'

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a

Speaker B is showing sympathy for Speaker A's bad experience.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Häufig gestellte Fragen

3 Fragen

Yes, it is a very polite way to show you are listening and that you care about someone's problems.

Yes! You can use it if someone drops their ice cream or if someone loses their job. It works for both.

There is almost no difference. They are synonyms. 'Terrible' is slightly more common in daily speech.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔄

That's awful!

synonym

Exactly the same as 'That's terrible!'

🔗

That's a shame.

similar

Used for minor disappointments.

🔗

That's too bad.

similar

A mild way to show sympathy.

🔗

That's great!

contrast

Used for good news.

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