French · Emotions & Descriptions
"What a shame!" in French: quel dommage !
quel dommage !
What a shame in French is quel dommage ! Use it for mild disappointment — canceled plans, missed trains. Keep the exclamation together.
Canceled concert
Le groupe est malade — quel dommage !Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce quel dommage !
Say it
kell doh-MAHZH
/kɛl dɔ.maʒ/
Quel: kell. Dommage: doh-MAHZH. Soft zh ending. Empathetic tone: kell doh-MAHZH.
"What a shame!" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| quel dommage ! | what a shame! Default reaction. | Default reaction. |
| c'est dommage | it's a shame Softer cousin. | Softer cousin. |
| quel dommage pour toi | what a shame for you Directed empathy. | Directed empathy. |
| dommage | shame / too bad Short spoken form. | Short spoken form. |
How to use quel dommage ! in real life
- 1Canceled concert
Le groupe est malade — quel dommage !
The band is sick—what a shame!
Full phrase.
- 2Missed connection
On a raté le train. Quel dommage !
We missed the train. What a shame!
After bad news.
- 3Friend can't come
Tu ne peux pas venir ? Quel dommage !
You can't come? What a shame!
Social.
Mistakes English speakers make with quel dommage !
Incorrect: Quel shame !
Correct: Quel dommage !
Use dommage.
Incorrect: Quelle dommage !
Correct: Quel dommage !
Dommage is masculine: quel.
Good to know
Quel dommage ! is polite empathy, not deep grief. Stronger sadness uses another register. Shop assistants say c'est dommage when an item is out of stock.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Learning a festival is sold out
ChatPal
Complet… quel dommage !
Sold out… what a shame!
You
Oui, quel dommage — on voulait y aller.
Yes, what a shame—we wanted to go.
ChatPal
On regarde un autre week-end ?
Shall we look at another weekend?
You
Oui, bonne idée.
Yes, good idea.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What a shame!" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What a shame!" in French
How do you say what a shame in French?
Quel dommage !
Quel or quelle?
Quel — dommage is masculine.
Shorter form?
Dommage. / C'est dommage.
How do you pronounce dommage?
doh-MAHZH.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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