vara synd om
Swedish edit
Etymology edit
vara (“be”) + synd (literally "sin" – can be thought of as pity/sorriness here (in the sense of feeling sorry for someone)) + om (“about”)
Verb edit
vara synd om (present är synd om, preterite var synd om, supine varit synd om, imperative var synd om)
- (impersonal) to be a person or animal people (should) feel sorry for, to be pity-evoking
- Det är synd om kaninen som fått en sticka i kassen
- Literal meaning: One feels sorry for the rabbit that has gotten a splinter in its paw / More idiomatic translations: I feel sorry for ... / It's a shame about ... / Poor rabbit that ...
- Det är synd om kvinnorna som försökte göra gott och straffades för det
- One feels sorry for the women who tried to do good and were punished for it
- Det är inte synd om mig
- No need to feel sorry for me ("I am not someone one should feel sorry for")
Usage notes edit
"Be a shame about ..." in the sense of "One feels sorry for ..." Thought of as a property of the pity-evoking person or animal, so that "Det är inte synd om ..." means disagreeing with that people in general should feel sorry for the person or animal (and that one personally does not feel sorry).