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👉 See also: Tant pis »
Level A2 (Upper Beginner)
Published February 24, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is “dommage !”, an interjection meaning “what a shame!” or “too bad!” More importantly, we’ll also cover the subtle difference between dommage and tant pis. Keep reading.
📘 Dommage meaning in French
“Dommage !” is a French interjection meaning “that’s a shame,” “too bad,” or “what a pity.” It is used to express disappointment or mild regret when something unfortunate happens. You’ll also see “C’est dommage !” (it’s a shame) and “Quel dommage !” (what a shame!). As a secondary meaning, un dommage means “damage” in a legal or formal context (for example, physical or financial harm).
🎧 Dommage pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of dommage is /dɔ.maʒ/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “doh-mahzh”.
📝 Dommage usage examples
Je ne peux pas venir ce soir. — Dommage.
I can’t come tonight. — Too bad.
Le concert est annulé. — Ah, c’est vraiment dommage.
The concert is canceled. — Ah, that’s really unfortunate.
Tu ne peux pas venir à ma soirée ? Quel dommage !
You can’t come to my party? What a pity!
👉 See also: Pouvoir conjugation chart (can, to be able) »
C’est dommage qu’il ne puisse pas venir.
It’s a shame that he can’t come.
💡 Dommage vs. tant pis
Dommage expresses regret or disappointment about a situation and focuses on the fact that something is unfortunate. Tant pis shows acceptance — more like “oh well” or “too bad” — and suggests you are moving on despite the disappointment.
👉 See also: Tant pis usage examples »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- tant pis — oh well, too bad
- quel dommage — what a shame
- c’est dommage que + subjunctive — it’s a shame that
- c’est dommage de + infinitive — it is a shame to + verb
- c’est trop bête — that’s too bad, that’s a pity (informal)
- regretter — to regret
- malheureusement — unfortunately
- hélas — alas (literary)
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 Tant pis — Oh well, too bad »
👉 French interjections (hub) »
