Italian · Emotions & Descriptions

"I'm sorry to hear that" in Italian: mi dispiace sentirlo

mi dispiace sentirlo

Say it: mee dee-SPYAH-cheh sen-TEER-lohphrase/mi diˈspja.tʃe senˈtir.lo/

I'm sorry to hear that in Italian is mi dispiace sentirlo. Use it after illness, breakups, or tough updates from a friend.

Friend lost a job

Oh nomi dispiace sentirlo.
Oh no—I'm sorry to hear that.
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How to pronounce mi dispiace sentirlo

Say it

mee dee-SPYAH-cheh sen-TEER-loh

/mi diˈspja.tʃe senˈtir.lo/

Mi dispiace sentirlo: mee dee-SPYAH-cheh sen-TEER-loh. Stress SPYAH and TEER.

"I'm sorry to hear that" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
mi dispiace sentirloI'm sorry to hear that

Default (lo).

mi dispiace sentirlaI'm sorry to hear that (f. news)

Feminine notizia.

mi dispiace tantoI'm so sorry

Shorter empathy.

che peccato, mi dispiace sentirlowhat a shame, I'm sorry to hear that

Warmer.

How to use mi dispiace sentirlo in real life

  1. 1Friend lost a job

    Oh nomi dispiace sentirlo.

    Oh no—I'm sorry to hear that.

    Immediate.

  2. 2Illness update

    Hai avuto l'influenza? Mi dispiace sentirlo.

    You had the flu? I'm sorry to hear that.

    Health.

  3. 3Canceled trip

    Hanno annullato il volomi dispiace sentirlo.

    They canceled the flight… I'm sorry to hear that.

    Travel.

Mistakes English speakers make with mi dispiace sentirlo

Incorrect: Sono sorry to hear that.

Correct: Mi dispiace sentirlo.

Keep the Italian empathy phrase.

Incorrect: Mi dispiace sentire.

Correct: Mi dispiace sentirlo.

Include lo for that (news).

Good to know

Mi dispiace sentirlo is calm empathy, not dramatic. Follow with se vuoi parlame or posso aiutarti? Italians value presence more than long speeches after bad news.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Hearing a friend's exam went badly

  1. ChatPal

    Non ho passato l'esame.

    I didn't pass the exam.

  2. You

    Mi dispiace sentirlodavvero.

    I'm sorry to hear that—really.

  3. ChatPal

    Grazie. Fa male.

    Thanks. It hurts.

  4. You

    Mi dispiace sentirlo, ma riproviamo insieme.

    I'm sorry to hear that, but we'll try again together.

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"I'm sorry to hear that" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "I'm sorry to hear that" in Italian

Exact phrase?

Mi dispiace sentirlo.

Shorter?

Mi dispiace tanto.

Feminine news?

Mi dispiace sentirla.

Next step?

Offer help: posso aiutarti?

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