How to Say “What a Pity” in Turkish
The usual way to say “What a pity” in Turkish is Ne yazık! It is neutral: safe in almost any situation. Below are 4 alternatives (informal), an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.
In Turkish
Ne yazık!
- Literally
- “what a pity!”
- Register
- Neutralsafe in almost any situation
How Ne yazık! is built
- newhat, how
- yazıkpity, shame
Other ways to say “What a pity”
- Yazık!Informal
“shame!”
Also “poor thing”.
- Çok yazıkNeutral
“what a shame”
Sympathetic.
- Ne yazık kiNeutral
“unfortunately”
Sentence adverb: Ne yazık ki gelemiyorum.
- TühInformal
“darn”
Mild disappointment.
Example dialogue
- A
Konser iptal olmuş.
Apparently the concert has been cancelled.
- B
Ne yazık! Biletleri yeni almıştık.
What a pity! We had just bought the tickets.
Related phrases
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“What a pity” in Turkish: FAQ
How do you say “What a pity” in Turkish?
The most common way is Ne yazık! (literally “what a pity!”), which is neutral: safe in almost any situation. You will also hear Yazık (“shame!”): also “poor thing”.
Is Ne yazık formal or informal?
Ne yazık is neutral, safe in almost any situation. For a informal alternative, use Yazık (“shame!”).
What does each part of Ne yazık mean?
ne = what, how; yazık = pity, shame. Yazık on its own also expresses pity for people or animals: Yazık, kedi aç (Poor thing, the cat is hungry).
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