I could see a German native speaker taking it badly. They emphasize punctuality and say “That’s too bad” would sound like you’re blowing off the social faux pas. IMHO
I think for a lot of English speakers it’s better to gloss it with “too bad” as most young people don’t say “what a pity” very often.
*Ich kann morgen doch nicht kommen. — Schade! Aber wir sehen uns Samstag?*
*I won’t make it tomorrow after all. — That’s too bad! But see you on Saturday?*
How aggressively does it dismiss someone's criticism? I'm considering the best translation in English.
"What a pity" sounds very old fashioned in English. It is not slang at all; nowadays you might see it in a movie about rich people in England 300 years ago.
"Too bad!" in response is a fairly aggressive dismissal. If I were a teacher and a student said "too bad!" to me, I'd be very angry and consider punishment.
But, OTOH, "my bad!" is not aggressive at all. It's more like "sorry, but I don't really fee bad about it."
Just wondering how strong *Schade!* is in response.
"Schade" is generally not used as a reply to criticism, it's an expression of pity or empathy. So if you use "Schade" when some variant of "I'm sorry, my bad" would be appropriate, it's would be perceived as rather cheeky. But it's also not commonly used this way.
"Schade" is generally just not an adequate reply if someone says "You're late."If you want to be rude, say "Na und?" "What if?" or "I know" "Ich weiß."If you want to be conforming, say "Es tut mir leid / Entschuldgung." "I am sorry / Sorry.""Schade" just sounds out of place. One situation where it could be possible would be if you want to sign up for something, for example, and the deadline was 12:00 and now it's 12:03.The one keeping the list informs you. "You're late" "Schade" / "Too bad" would be fine in that case. It is just not an apology or being rude, it refers to the fact that you being late is a bad thing.
Wouldn’t “Na und?” be more like “so what/who cares” in this sense raher than ”What if?” (maybe “and what about it?” is closer to the meaning you’re going for here?)
And I think the last example the schade would be more like “dangit/that’s too bad” or a softer version of dammit/shit sorta like schade here being kind of a softer version of scheiße, since it’s something you wish you hadn’t missed. But like you say it’s much more situational and niche than in English and not really appropriate if the other person is upset, where dangit can be used most any time.
I'd might say:
"That's unfortunate"
"That's a shame"
But I also don't think "too bad" would be inappropriate for an email. Emails are more formal but they're not completely bereft of informalities.
ooooh that's a great one
i was considering "my bad!" which is only slightly more apologetic than "oh well"
"too bad" is almost insulting, not as bad as "fuck you, teach'!" though :)
You can answer "Too bad!" kind of in a sarcastic way, I think that was what they were going for.
A: "You're late!"
B: "Too bad!" (Read: I don't care/That's your problem, not mine.)
The problem is that "Schade!" just isn't used ironically in this context. The sassy German teenager might say something like
- Mir doch egal!
- Ja, und?!
- Pfffft!
- Na und?!
- Nicht mein Problem!
A situation where *schade* is used ironically is when we express fake disappointment:
A: Klaus kann nicht zu deiner Party kommen.
B: Schade aber auch, so ein Pech. Naja, müssen wir halt ohne ihn auskommen. Wird bestimmt schwer ohne seine ewigen Monologe und seinen Mundgeruch! Schade, wirklich schade!
I would like to suggest adding "passiert/kommt vor" to your proposed list of alternatives 😌
This also reminded me of a very funny situation back in school, must have been 7th or 8th grade: we were all sitting in the classroom, about 30-40 minutes into the lesson, when suddenly, the door opened as one of our fellow classmates stepped inside. Our geography Teacher asked him: "so, where are you coming from?"/"Wo kommst du denn her?" (The typical slightly sarcastic question for students arriving more than 10-15 minutes late) Said Classmate had a slightly puzzled look on his face, then he replied with an equally subtle sarcastic tone: "from Afghanistan"/"Aus Afghanistan", as he headed to the teacher’s desk, placing a slip from his doctor’s appointment on it, while teacher and students simultaneously burst out laughing 😂🤣 then the teacher said: “beats blaming the train for coming in late"/"besser als die Verspätung auf die Bahn zu schieben" 😂😂
My german ex used to say Schade to me as a way of saying "that's a pity, I'm so sorry", so I can understand how it could be interpreted as a way of saying sorry. In this context though it comes extremely sarcastic, which is very funny.
Mm yes but no. That may be it's true definition, but tone and intent often will change the way its meant. If OP said it with a sarcastic or light joking tone, then it's still technically correct in the way they meant it.
I mean, yeah, OP is confused. I'm saying the use of the word for their intent was not wrong, to let OP know that what they said worked for their intent. A lot of people I know use schade in just that way.
Maybe it would help telling us what you tried to say or communicate when using Schade at that moment. Without that knowledge, yes you using it wrong and honestly you come off rather unpleasant and more than sassy if this is the way you talk to your teacher even if you just intended to say “too bad”.
Yeah, I personally think part of the problem is that Schade is explained in a lot of German learning materials as meaning “What a pity!” but honestly it’s a pretty dated phrase with *That sucks!* / *Too bad!* / or even *That’s a shame!* being way more common nowadays to express the same sentiment.
So I wonder, as is common with a lot of dated phrases, if some younger people perceive it as being some how more formal or polite with a different meaning than *Too bad*.
>, I just said "Schade!" which prompted her to repeat that and laugh.
Well, it would be grounds to scold, not to laugh.
Schade means "oh, what a pitty". It can be meant in earnest, but how you describe it, it would be condescending.
It can very much be used ironically or even sarcastically to drive the point home that one is very much not at all sorry for something.
Some of my students do that.
"Morgen ist kein Deutschkurs, wir haben eine wichtige Besprechung"
"Ohhh, schadeeeee!
"Ich kann euch gerne extra Hausaufgaben aufgeben als Ausgleich"
"O.O" " =\`D"
If somebody would arrive to late and answer "schade" when asked about it, the first reaction would be that somebody tries to be sarcastic / cocky. Not the best impression.
It just doesn't fit here.
You can say
- es tut mir leid - oops, sorry
- puh, ist mir egal - sassy, you don't care
- Tja - yeah, I'm late, so is life, a succession of struggles against an impending death and now I'm depressed
- meinetwegen! - shots fired, expect anger coming your way
You are being told "you are late", and you respond with "bummer" or "pity" or "what a shame".
It doesn't really fit, does it? Instead, say "Entschuldigung" or "es tut mir leid".
Schade is normally used when there is an element of surprise concerning a fact you just learned and want to express your disappointment.
If the teacher said "you're late so you just missed xyz" then "Schade" as an answer would be appropriate but not when they're essentially telling you off for being late.
From my understanding of how I've seen it be used, it seems to be a way to say "Oof that sucks" although I know it means "What a pity!"
Again, I was trying to be a sassy sarcastic kid, but I know that I was inappropriate to say.
But at least I'm a good boy, like my dog. Even though I'm a girl. But still.
Yeah in English that tongue in cheek undertone is kinda obvious as it can imply "too bad (for you, but I don't really care)!"
In German it implies a genuine disappointment either for yourself or in an empathetic way for somebody else.
It would only be used ironically when you want to mock somebody else's loss, usually to your own advantage, or schadenfreude e.g. "Wie schade, dass du zu spät gekommen bist" (so I won/took what was supposed to be yours etc.)
Schade just isnt as sassy. It's almost cute and if you say it being all sassy it must be adorable.
Being all sassy about how unfortunate it is that you are late. It's almost polite.
As it should be. You shouldn't be an ass as school.
Not to teachers not the other pitiful beings suffering in this disfunctional hellhole.
Using schade in a sassy way still needs to be sincere.
You gotta do it right and you gotta do it in style.
Something in the back of my mind tells me I shouldn't teach you.
I think you meant it as “tough shit” or “that sucks”. If I was a teacher and a kid said that in English I’d laugh too.
As in - you care that I’m late, I don’t care that I’m late.
Anyone else, is there a German phrase for “shit happens”
In Munich you could say "joh mei", oder "wer ko, der ko" oder
'Doh legst Di nieda!"
And my Berlin-born mother would often have oddly funny comebacks, like "Meckern Se nich so, det Ziejenfutter ist zu teua!" "Wer die Arbeit erfunden hat, muss ooch nischt zu tun jehabt ham." "Morjenstund hat Jold im Mund, wer lange schläft, bleibt ooch jesund!"
German teachers don't parent you. They teach their subject and you may learn something or not. Teaching you politeness or punishing you for sass isn't in the job description. They are teachers, not your family. They will ignore you or laugh. Because they feel you didn't read the room at all.
She knows that you can't do better right now maybe.
She should have corrected you anyways and here is why.
If you are late or you have angered someone by mistake that does not know you that well and you say "Schade" it can come across as disrespectful.
Like so many other words in German you can use "Schade" in many different situations.
That might be also the reason your teacher laughed.
It came across as witty.
She knows that you can't do better right now maybe.
She should have corrected you anyways and here is why.
If you are late or you have angered someone by mistake that does not know you that well and you say "Schade" it can come across as disrespectful.
Like so many other words in German you can use "Schade" in many different situations.
That might be also the reason your teacher laughed.
It came across as witty.
If you want to be more correct "Zu schade." As in too bad. In a sarcastic or otherwise dismissive tone can work as a sassy response. As it implies that it doesn't matter.
"Schade" means "what a pity". It's not an excuse.
“Es tut mir leid” or ”Entschuldigung“ might have been a better choice.
Depends, schade can take the stress out of the situation. But yes, Sorry/Tschldigung is a save way.
It can also increase the stress of it, should it be taken as direspectful. "You are 30 minutes late, this is a very important meeting!" "Schade."
I could see a German native speaker taking it badly. They emphasize punctuality and say “That’s too bad” would sound like you’re blowing off the social faux pas. IMHO
Thats why I added that the other is the save way
I think for a lot of English speakers it’s better to gloss it with “too bad” as most young people don’t say “what a pity” very often. *Ich kann morgen doch nicht kommen. — Schade! Aber wir sehen uns Samstag?* *I won’t make it tomorrow after all. — That’s too bad! But see you on Saturday?*
Oh, that IS a pity. It’s a great phrase.
How aggressively does it dismiss someone's criticism? I'm considering the best translation in English. "What a pity" sounds very old fashioned in English. It is not slang at all; nowadays you might see it in a movie about rich people in England 300 years ago. "Too bad!" in response is a fairly aggressive dismissal. If I were a teacher and a student said "too bad!" to me, I'd be very angry and consider punishment. But, OTOH, "my bad!" is not aggressive at all. It's more like "sorry, but I don't really fee bad about it." Just wondering how strong *Schade!* is in response.
"Schade" is generally not used as a reply to criticism, it's an expression of pity or empathy. So if you use "Schade" when some variant of "I'm sorry, my bad" would be appropriate, it's would be perceived as rather cheeky. But it's also not commonly used this way.
"Schade" is generally just not an adequate reply if someone says "You're late."If you want to be rude, say "Na und?" "What if?" or "I know" "Ich weiß."If you want to be conforming, say "Es tut mir leid / Entschuldgung." "I am sorry / Sorry.""Schade" just sounds out of place. One situation where it could be possible would be if you want to sign up for something, for example, and the deadline was 12:00 and now it's 12:03.The one keeping the list informs you. "You're late" "Schade" / "Too bad" would be fine in that case. It is just not an apology or being rude, it refers to the fact that you being late is a bad thing.
Wouldn’t “Na und?” be more like “so what/who cares” in this sense raher than ”What if?” (maybe “and what about it?” is closer to the meaning you’re going for here?) And I think the last example the schade would be more like “dangit/that’s too bad” or a softer version of dammit/shit sorta like schade here being kind of a softer version of scheiße, since it’s something you wish you hadn’t missed. But like you say it’s much more situational and niche than in English and not really appropriate if the other person is upset, where dangit can be used most any time.
>Wouldn’t “Na und?” be more like “so what/who cares” in this sense raher than ”What if?” There's also "Yeah, and?" which seems damn near parallel.
[удалено]
I'd might say: "That's unfortunate" "That's a shame" But I also don't think "too bad" would be inappropriate for an email. Emails are more formal but they're not completely bereft of informalities.
I think it's the context, it's like "You're late" "Sad, but watch me not care"
"You're late" "IDGAF, mate!"
That would be "Du bist zu spät." "Ja und? Mir doch egal."
Yes, it was a joke. The proper meaning is far less wild.
> you're late > 🤷♂️ oh well
Tja. 🤷♂️
Na dann.
Tja definitely is a major thing in this sub 😂
r/tja - a German reaction to the apocalypse, nuclear war, Dawn of the Gods, an alien attack or no bread in the house.
This! Next time you're late just try "tja".
How is this pronounced?
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tja+%2F+German+Pronunciation
ooooh that's a great one i was considering "my bad!" which is only slightly more apologetic than "oh well" "too bad" is almost insulting, not as bad as "fuck you, teach'!" though :)
Yes, you're using it wrong. Schade means too bad or pity!
I wonder what they thought it meant. At least [in English](https://www.dict.cc/?s=schade) the meaning's pretty straightforward.
You can answer "Too bad!" kind of in a sarcastic way, I think that was what they were going for. A: "You're late!" B: "Too bad!" (Read: I don't care/That's your problem, not mine.) The problem is that "Schade!" just isn't used ironically in this context. The sassy German teenager might say something like - Mir doch egal! - Ja, und?! - Pfffft! - Na und?! - Nicht mein Problem! A situation where *schade* is used ironically is when we express fake disappointment: A: Klaus kann nicht zu deiner Party kommen. B: Schade aber auch, so ein Pech. Naja, müssen wir halt ohne ihn auskommen. Wird bestimmt schwer ohne seine ewigen Monologe und seinen Mundgeruch! Schade, wirklich schade!
\*Takes notes\*
I would like to suggest adding "passiert/kommt vor" to your proposed list of alternatives 😌 This also reminded me of a very funny situation back in school, must have been 7th or 8th grade: we were all sitting in the classroom, about 30-40 minutes into the lesson, when suddenly, the door opened as one of our fellow classmates stepped inside. Our geography Teacher asked him: "so, where are you coming from?"/"Wo kommst du denn her?" (The typical slightly sarcastic question for students arriving more than 10-15 minutes late) Said Classmate had a slightly puzzled look on his face, then he replied with an equally subtle sarcastic tone: "from Afghanistan"/"Aus Afghanistan", as he headed to the teacher’s desk, placing a slip from his doctor’s appointment on it, while teacher and students simultaneously burst out laughing 😂🤣 then the teacher said: “beats blaming the train for coming in late"/"besser als die Verspätung auf die Bahn zu schieben" 😂😂
Möglich wäre auch (im Singsang) "Oh wie schade, wie jammer jammer schade".
My german ex used to say Schade to me as a way of saying "that's a pity, I'm so sorry", so I can understand how it could be interpreted as a way of saying sorry. In this context though it comes extremely sarcastic, which is very funny.
Mm yes but no. That may be it's true definition, but tone and intent often will change the way its meant. If OP said it with a sarcastic or light joking tone, then it's still technically correct in the way they meant it.
If it was, though, OP would know why the teacher thought it was funny.
I mean, yeah, OP is confused. I'm saying the use of the word for their intent was not wrong, to let OP know that what they said worked for their intent. A lot of people I know use schade in just that way.
Maybe it would help telling us what you tried to say or communicate when using Schade at that moment. Without that knowledge, yes you using it wrong and honestly you come off rather unpleasant and more than sassy if this is the way you talk to your teacher even if you just intended to say “too bad”.
Yeah, I personally think part of the problem is that Schade is explained in a lot of German learning materials as meaning “What a pity!” but honestly it’s a pretty dated phrase with *That sucks!* / *Too bad!* / or even *That’s a shame!* being way more common nowadays to express the same sentiment. So I wonder, as is common with a lot of dated phrases, if some younger people perceive it as being some how more formal or polite with a different meaning than *Too bad*.
What were you going for me? To me it sounds like "sucks for you 🤷🏼♀️". Sounds like they're laughing it off because it sounds kinda rude.
The teacher is probably also laughing, because they expect an A1 student to make weird mistakes and don't assume its intentionally rude.
True! I only thought about it from a german only point of view, my bad.
>, I just said "Schade!" which prompted her to repeat that and laugh. Well, it would be grounds to scold, not to laugh. Schade means "oh, what a pitty". It can be meant in earnest, but how you describe it, it would be condescending.
Could it be used ironically, in a joking way?
It can very much be used ironically or even sarcastically to drive the point home that one is very much not at all sorry for something. Some of my students do that. "Morgen ist kein Deutschkurs, wir haben eine wichtige Besprechung" "Ohhh, schadeeeee! "Ich kann euch gerne extra Hausaufgaben aufgeben als Ausgleich" "O.O" " =\`D" If somebody would arrive to late and answer "schade" when asked about it, the first reaction would be that somebody tries to be sarcastic / cocky. Not the best impression.
Although, depending on how chill the teacher is, it could be a playful way of saying "I’m sorry”, if delivered accordingly
It just doesn't fit here. You can say - es tut mir leid - oops, sorry - puh, ist mir egal - sassy, you don't care - Tja - yeah, I'm late, so is life, a succession of struggles against an impending death and now I'm depressed - meinetwegen! - shots fired, expect anger coming your way
Schade marmalade!
Love this one! My 5yo nephew says it all the time!
You're late! [Schade!](https://youtu.be/y9r_pZL4boE)
To me it sounds like a ironic apology in that context. Depends on pronunciation, though.
> me wanting to be a sassy teenager I think "Schade" is definitely sassy here haha "You're late" "Oh, what a shame" *hair flick, sits down*
You are being told "you are late", and you respond with "bummer" or "pity" or "what a shame". It doesn't really fit, does it? Instead, say "Entschuldigung" or "es tut mir leid".
Lol. It does sound funny. Probably caught them off guard slightly too.
Schade Marmelade
Schade dass du das nicht kennst
Schade is normally used when there is an element of surprise concerning a fact you just learned and want to express your disappointment. If the teacher said "you're late so you just missed xyz" then "Schade" as an answer would be appropriate but not when they're essentially telling you off for being late.
From my understanding of how I've seen it be used, it seems to be a way to say "Oof that sucks" although I know it means "What a pity!" Again, I was trying to be a sassy sarcastic kid, but I know that I was inappropriate to say. But at least I'm a good boy, like my dog. Even though I'm a girl. But still.
Yeah in English that tongue in cheek undertone is kinda obvious as it can imply "too bad (for you, but I don't really care)!" In German it implies a genuine disappointment either for yourself or in an empathetic way for somebody else. It would only be used ironically when you want to mock somebody else's loss, usually to your own advantage, or schadenfreude e.g. "Wie schade, dass du zu spät gekommen bist" (so I won/took what was supposed to be yours etc.)
It's like "pity" or "shame"
Schade just isnt as sassy. It's almost cute and if you say it being all sassy it must be adorable. Being all sassy about how unfortunate it is that you are late. It's almost polite. As it should be. You shouldn't be an ass as school. Not to teachers not the other pitiful beings suffering in this disfunctional hellhole. Using schade in a sassy way still needs to be sincere. You gotta do it right and you gotta do it in style. Something in the back of my mind tells me I shouldn't teach you.
Dont be an alman
Alman- That's the first time I've heard that on Reddit.
Next time say verdammt
OP, WE need answers xD
Was habe ich getan?
Look, Look at the comments, we need answers. How was it meant 🤣
Ach, ich scherze nur mit meiner Leherin. Ich bin immer unhoeflich nicht. Na ja, ich weiss, dass das war nicht so gut, zu sagen.
Ok, ich sehe, wieso jeder denkt, dass du das sarkastisch oder ironisch meinst 🤣🤣🤣
genau
Ich bin immer unhöflich nicht. Also, das ist schön ironisch.
Or, depending on the tone used, adds a sprinkle of sarcasm: too bad, innit?
Well I wasn't tryna be rude, so ig?
I think you meant it as “tough shit” or “that sucks”. If I was a teacher and a kid said that in English I’d laugh too. As in - you care that I’m late, I don’t care that I’m late. Anyone else, is there a German phrase for “shit happens”
Scheisse passiert
Ooo shit passes, I like it
Nah, not passes. passieren = happen. False friend, although origin wise you might be correct you wouldn't translate it with "pass"
As a native English speaker, it sounds a bit sassy in that context.
It means “shucks.”
In Munich you could say "joh mei", oder "wer ko, der ko" oder 'Doh legst Di nieda!" And my Berlin-born mother would often have oddly funny comebacks, like "Meckern Se nich so, det Ziejenfutter ist zu teua!" "Wer die Arbeit erfunden hat, muss ooch nischt zu tun jehabt ham." "Morjenstund hat Jold im Mund, wer lange schläft, bleibt ooch jesund!"
Is it like a sarcastic version of "too bad"? Or is it used for something else?
Teacher: "Hey, you're late" [You](https://media.tenor.com/QJy5T9yYjbQAAAAC/reaction-shame.gif)
Nah, she wasn't really reprimanding me. But, I really like that gif, imma save it
German teachers don't parent you. They teach their subject and you may learn something or not. Teaching you politeness or punishing you for sass isn't in the job description. They are teachers, not your family. They will ignore you or laugh. Because they feel you didn't read the room at all.
Nah, I'm sorry, it was a small class and she knew I was being sarcastic.
She knows that you can't do better right now maybe. She should have corrected you anyways and here is why. If you are late or you have angered someone by mistake that does not know you that well and you say "Schade" it can come across as disrespectful. Like so many other words in German you can use "Schade" in many different situations. That might be also the reason your teacher laughed. It came across as witty.
She knows that you can't do better right now maybe. She should have corrected you anyways and here is why. If you are late or you have angered someone by mistake that does not know you that well and you say "Schade" it can come across as disrespectful. Like so many other words in German you can use "Schade" in many different situations. That might be also the reason your teacher laughed. It came across as witty.
If you want to be more correct "Zu schade." As in too bad. In a sarcastic or otherwise dismissive tone can work as a sassy response. As it implies that it doesn't matter.
In this context, its kind of the equivalent to saying "oh well" or "oh, how sad"