A1 Expression Formel 1 min de lecture

お気の毒に

Okinodoku ni

My condolences / I'm sorry to hear that

Entraîne-toi

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A polite way to express sympathy when someone experiences bad luck or a difficult situation.

  • Means: 'I am sorry for your misfortune' or 'That is a pity.'
  • Used in: Expressing condolences, reacting to bad news, or showing empathy.
  • Don't confuse: Do not use this to apologize for your own mistakes.
Sad face + Sincere tone = Genuine empathy

Explication à ton niveau :

This is a polite way to say 'I am sorry to hear that' when someone has bad luck.
Use this phrase to show empathy. It is common when someone is sick or has had a bad day. It is more formal than just saying 'Zannen'.
This expression serves as a social buffer. It acknowledges the 'poison' or difficulty of a situation, allowing the speaker to show they are sharing the burden of the listener's misfortune.
It functions as a conventionalized expression of sympathy. It is essential in formal business or social contexts where one must maintain a distance while still appearing compassionate.
The phrase acts as a linguistic marker of 'omoiyari'. It demonstrates the speaker's mastery of Japanese social hierarchy and their ability to navigate delicate emotional exchanges with appropriate register.
From a cognitive linguistic perspective, this phrase maps the concept of 'poison' onto the emotional state of the interlocutor. It is a highly ritualized performance of empathy that reinforces the social bond between speaker and listener.

Signification

Expressing sympathy for someone's misfortune.

🌍

Contexte culturel

Sympathy is often expressed with a slight bow. Avoid overusing it for small things.

💡

Tone matters

Say it softly and sincerely.

💡

Tone matters

Say it softly and sincerely.

Teste-toi

Which is the correct way to show sympathy?

Friend: 'I lost my watch.'

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : お気の毒に

It is the only phrase expressing sympathy.

🎉 Score : /1

Aides visuelles

Banque d exercices

2 exercices
Choisis la bonne réponse Fill Blank

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
Which is the correct way to show sympathy? Choose A1

Friend: 'I lost my watch.'

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : お気の毒に

It is the only phrase expressing sympathy.

🎉 Score : /2

Questions fréquentes

1 questions

Yes, but be careful with the tone.

Expressions liées

🔄

残念ですね

synonym

That is a pity.

Où l'utiliser

🤒

Friend is sick

A: 風邪を引いてしまいました。

B: それはお気の毒に。

neutral
📉

Colleague's project failed

A: プロジェクトが中止になりました。

B: それはお気の毒に。

formal

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Think of 'Ki' (spirit) getting 'Doku' (poisoned) by bad news.

Association visuelle

Imagine a friend holding a heavy, dark cloud over their head. You reach out and say the phrase to help them lift it.

Story

Kenji lost his wallet. I felt bad for him. I walked up and said 'Okinodoku ni'. He felt better because I cared.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'I'm sorry to hear that' in English or 'Lo siento' in Spanish.

Word Web

残念同情気の毒お悔やみ大変悲しい

Défi

Use this phrase in a roleplay where a friend tells you they lost their job.

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

Prononciation

Stress Flat pitch.

Clear syllables.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
お気の毒に存じます。

お気の毒に存じます。 (Expressing sympathy)

Neutre
お気の毒に。

お気の毒に。 (Expressing sympathy)

Informel
残念だね。

残念だね。 (Expressing sympathy)

Argot
マジかよ、最悪だな。

マジかよ、最悪だな。 (Expressing sympathy)

Derived from 'Ki' (spirit) and 'Doku' (poison). It suggests the event is painful to the spirit.

Edo:

Le savais-tu ?

It is one of the most common phrases taught to foreigners to show empathy.

Notes culturelles

Sympathy is often expressed with a slight bow.

“お気の毒に（bow）”

Avoid overusing it for small things.

“Don't say it if someone drops a pen.”

Amorces de conversation

“

What do you say when a friend is sad?

Erreurs courantes

✗

自分の失敗に対して「お気の毒に」と言う。

✓

「申し訳ありません」と言う。

wrong context
You cannot use this for your own mistakes; it is only for others.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Lo siento.

Okinodoku ni is never an apology.

French Very Similar

Je suis désolé.

Okinodoku ni is exclusively for sympathy.

German Very Similar

Das tut mir leid.

German is more direct.

Japanese Very Similar

残念です。

Okinodoku ni is more empathetic.

Arabic moderate

أنا آسف.

Arabic often includes religious invocations.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(1953)

“お気の毒に”

Reacting to a death.

Facile à confondre

お気の毒に vs 申し訳ありません

Learners use this for sympathy.

Use this for apologies, not sympathy.

Questions fréquentes (1)

Yes, but be careful with the tone.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

C'tait utile ?

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