German · Emotions & Descriptions
"What a shame!" in German: wie schade!
wie schade!
What a shame in German is wie schade! Use it for cancelled plans and mild bad news. Stronger regret can be Das ist echt schade or Pech.
Cancelled concert
Die Tour ist abgesagt — wie schade!Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce wie schade!
Say it
vee SHAH-duh
/viː ˈʃaːdə/
vee SHAH-duh. Schade with long a; soft sch and d.
"What a shame!" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wie schade! | what a shame! Core exclamation. | Core exclamation. |
| Das ist schade | that's a shame Fuller. | Fuller. |
| Echt schade | really a shame Stronger. | Stronger. |
| Schade drum | shame about that Casual. | Casual. |
How to use wie schade! in real life
- 1Cancelled concert
Die Tour ist abgesagt — wie schade!
The tour is cancelled — what a shame!
Full phrase.
- 2Missed train
Zwei Minuten zu spät. Wie schade!
Two minutes too late. What a shame!
Near miss.
- 3Friend moving away
Du gehst schon nächsten Monat? Wie schade!
You're leaving next month already? What a shame!
Sympathy.
Mistakes English speakers make with wie schade!
Incorrect: Was schade!
Correct: Wie schade!
The set phrase uses wie, not was.
Incorrect: Wie shame!
Correct: Wie schade!
Use schade, not English shame.
Good to know
Wie schade! shows sympathy without heavy drama. For serious losses, people switch to Es tut mir leid rather than staying on schade alone.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Picnic rained out
ChatPal
Der Park ist total nass.
The park is totally wet.
You
Wie schade! Ich hatte schon Decken dabei.
What a shame! I already had blankets with me.
ChatPal
Wie schade, ja. Café statt Wiese?
What a shame, yes. Café instead of grass?
You
Gern — wenigstens trocken.
Gladly — at least dry.
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 German
How do you say what a shame?
Wie schade!
Stronger?
Echt schade / Das ist echt schade.
I'm sorry?
Es tut mir leid for heavier news.
Wie or was?
Wie schade.
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
