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On this page, we are going to explain you everything you have to know about the basic French phrase “Quel dommage”.
This include a full definition of what it is and how to use it in a conversation with an audio example. And also the useful informations we sprinkled like slow pronunciation audio, synonym, dialogue example and more!
Oh and before I forget, on this page you can find more of these phrases guides plus the ultimate list of all our French words guides on this page. Wish you a good learning!
The literal meaning is:
French people use it to express a feeling of regret or disappointment, just like: “Too bad” or “What a pity” in English.
Use it when you want to express your disappointment or when you have regrets about something. You can use it just like this or add more precisions about what you are disappointed about.
For example, your best friend didn’t come to your party. When talking about that the day after he/she says: “Désolé(e) je n’ai pas pu venir” (Sorry, I couldn’t come). You might answer: “Quel dommage” (What a pity) because you really wanted her/him to be there.
Now if you want to be more precise, you can use: “Quel dommage que tu ne sois pas venu(e)” (What a pity that you didn’t come). Or even “Quel dommage, j’avais préparé ton gâteau préféré” (What a pity, I had prepared your favorite cake.)
Finally, you can also use “Dommage” alone to express “Too bad” but it’s a bit more informal.