B2 Expression Neutral 1 min de lectura

حیف که...

heyf ke...

It's a pity that...

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'حیف که' to express regret or disappointment about a situation that didn't go as planned.

  • Means: It is a pity that / Unfortunately.
  • Used in: Expressing missed opportunities, bad weather, or canceled plans.
  • Don't confuse: Don't use it for deep grief; it's for minor regrets.
Sad face + missed event = 'حیف که'

Explicación a tu nivel:

Use 'حیف که' to say 'It is a pity'. It is very easy to use. Just say 'حیف که' and then your sentence.
This phrase is used to show you are sad about something. If you miss a bus or a movie, you say 'حیف که'. It is common in daily life.
At this level, you can use 'حیف که' to express disappointment in various social situations. It helps you sound more natural when talking about plans that didn't work out.
As a B2 learner, you should use 'حیف که' to nuance your expressions of regret. It is a perfect way to soften the delivery of bad news or to express empathy in a conversation.
The usage of 'حیف که' at the C1 level involves understanding the subtle shift between personal regret and shared social disappointment. It is a key tool for maintaining the flow of conversation while expressing negative sentiment.
At the C2 level, you recognize 'حیف که' as a pragmatic marker. It serves to align the speaker's emotional state with the listener's, functioning as a social lubricant in discourse that requires the expression of regret without being overly dramatic.

Significado

Expressing regret or sorrow about an unfortunate situation.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Used frequently to show empathy.

💡

Use it often

It makes you sound very natural.

💡

Use it often

It makes you sound very natural.

Ponte a prueba

Complete the sentence.

____ که نتوانستم به مهمانی بیایم.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: حیف

The phrase is 'حیف که'.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Complete the sentence. Fill Blank A1

____ که نتوانستم به مهمانی بیایم.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: حیف

The phrase is 'حیف که'.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

Yes, 'حیف!' is common.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

افسوس

synonym

Regret

Dónde usarla

✈️

Missing a flight

Ali: حیف که پرواز را از دست دادیم.

neutral

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of 'Hey, if' (sounds like 'Heyf')—'Hey, if only things were different!'

Asociación visual

Imagine a spilled cup of tea. You look at it and say 'Heyf!'

Rhyme

حیف که رفت، دلم گرفت (It's a pity he left, my heart felt sad)

Story

Ali wanted to go to the park. It started raining. He looked at the window and said 'حیف که باران می‌بارد.' He stayed home and read a book instead.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'It's a pity' in English or 'Dommage' in French.

Word Web

افسوس (regret)متاسفانه (unfortunately)حیف (pity)غم (sadness)کاش (I wish)بدشانسی (bad luck)

Desafío

Write 3 sentences about things you missed this week using 'حیف که'.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Pronunciación

Acento Stress on the first syllable.

H-ey-f

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
حیف است که ایشان تشریف نیاوردند.

حیف است که ایشان تشریف نیاوردند. (Social)

Neutral
حیف که او نیامد.

حیف که او نیامد. (Social)

Informal
حیف که نیومد.

حیف که نیومد. (Social)

Jerga
حیف که نیومد دیگه!

حیف که نیومد دیگه! (Social)

Derived from the Arabic root 'h-y-f', meaning injustice or pity.

Classical:

Dato curioso

It is one of the most common words in spoken Persian.

Notas culturales

Used frequently to show empathy.

“حیف که این‌طور شد.”

Inicios de conversación

“

What is a pity about today?

Errores comunes

✗

حیف من که...

✓

حیف که من...

wrong context
The word order is incorrect; 'حیف که' must be followed by the clause.

L1 Interference

0

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Es una lástima que...

Spanish requires the subjunctive mood after 'que'.

French Very Similar

C'est dommage que...

French also requires the subjunctive.

German Very Similar

Es ist schade, dass...

German word order changes after 'dass'.

Japanese moderate

残念ながら...

Japanese uses an adverbial structure rather than a conjunction.

Arabic Very Similar

من المؤسف أن...

Arabic is more formal in this construction.

Chinese Very Similar

可惜...

Chinese doesn't require a 'that' equivalent.

Korean moderate

아쉽게도...

Korean uses a specific suffix for regret.

Portuguese Very Similar

É uma pena que...

Portuguese requires the subjunctive.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(2011)

“حیف که نمی‌شه...”

Discussing a difficult situation.

Fácil de confundir

حیف که... vs متاسفانه

Both mean regret.

متاسفانه is more formal.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

Yes, 'حیف!' is common.

basic understanding
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