"I'm sorry"

[jbsegal]

English needs seperate terms for "It is my fault and I apologize" and "I am unhappy in sympathy with your unhappiness".

Am I just showing a lacuna in my vocabulary?

Comments

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

A former boyfriend and I used terms derived from Deborah Tannen to modify the phrase "I'm sorry". We'd say "I'm sorry, girl sorry" for sympathy/empathy; and say "I'm sorry, boy sorry" for apology.

Yes, this is a gross oversimplification of Tannen's work, but it conveyed the message just fine.

[ladytabitha.livejournal.com]

(Popping in from the future...)

That is the best idea ever.  Wow.

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

But you have to set the structure up in advance, otherwise your partner in conversation looks at you as if you are a blithering idiot.

It worked for us.