New here? This is lesson 95 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Good news, bad news in German
Jule's demo at the recycling-app loft went well, and she finds Priya on the Späti bench. Deniz sits there too, after his club lost.
You will cheer good news and show care when the news is bad.
Das tut mir leid is sympathy, not an apology. Geht's dir gut checks that a friend is okay.
Practise both reactions on the same bench, one after the other.
By the end of this lesson
Cheer good news, show care for bad news, and check a friend is okay.
- Oh nein!Oh no!
- Das sind tolle Nachrichten.That's great news.
- Das tut mir leid.I'm sorry to hear that.
- Das ist schade.That's a shame.
- Geht's dir gut?Are you okay?
- Das freut mich zu hören.I'm glad to hear that.
Scene — the Späti bench
Evening on Fliederstraße. Priya sits on the bench outside Deniz's Späti. Crates of bottles stand by the door.
Jule walks over from the loft, still smiling about her demo. Deniz comes out with a crate and looks tired.
Learn — good news and bad news
Six short lines cover a shock, great news, sympathy, a shame, a check-in, and glad news.
Das tut mir leid cares about the person, and it is not an apology here.
Oh nein!
Oh no!
When to use it: Say this when you hear sudden bad news from a friend.
Use this as one short shock, not a full sentence.
Das sind tolle Nachrichten.
That's great news.
When to use it: Say this when a friend shares news that went really well.
Nachrichten is plural, so the verb is sind, not ist.
Say it: Nachrichten has both ch sounds: the first is the ach sound, and the second is the ich sound.
Das tut mir leid.
I'm sorry to hear that.
When to use it: Say this to show you care after a friend shares bad news.
This shows care for the person, and it is not an apology.
Das ist schade.
That's a shame.
When to use it: Say this when something did not go well for someone.
Use this for a miss or a loss, and it is softer than Oh nein.
Say it: Schade starts with sch at the start of the word.
Geht's dir gut?
Are you okay?
When to use it: Ask this of a friend after bad news, to check they are okay.
Dir is for a friend, while a stranger or shop staff would get Ihnen.
Das freut mich zu hören.
I'm glad to hear that.
When to use it: Say this when a friend tells you news that makes you glad.
In a main clause the verb is second, so freut comes next.
Say it: Hören has a rounded ö, with the lips pushed forward.
Story — two kinds of news
Watch Priya react on the Späti bench. Jule has good news. Deniz has bad news.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- The bench outside the Späti. A crate of bottles waits by the door.
JuleWie geht's?How are you?
PriyaGut, danke. Läuft dein Projekt gut?I'm good, thanks. Is your project going well?- JuleJa, die Demo ist gut gelaufen.Yes, the demo went well.
- PriyaDas sind tolle Nachrichten.That's great news.
- JuleGenau, Jonas war danach richtig zufrieden.Right, Jonas was really pleased after that.
- PriyaDas freut mich zu hören.I'm glad to hear that.
- Deniz sets a crate down and sits on the bench.
DenizDas Spiel lief erst gut.The match went well at first.- PriyaWas ist dann passiert?What happened next?
- DenizUnser Verein hat heute verloren.Our club lost today.
- PriyaOh nein!Oh no!
- DenizZwei zu eins. Knapp, aber verloren.Two to one. Close, but we lost.
- PriyaDas tut mir leid.I'm sorry to hear that.
- DenizDie Jungs sind ziemlich still jetzt.The guys are pretty quiet now.
- PriyaDas ist schade. Geht's dir gut?That's a shame. Are you okay?
- DenizJa, danke. Nur das Spiel.Yes, thanks. It's just the match.
Practice — cheer or care
Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.
They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Das sind tolle Nachrichten.
Pick the reply
Deniz says:
Pick the reply
Unser Verein hat heute verloren.
Our club lost today.
And you reply with:
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
That's a shame.
Das ist ____.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your friend looks down after his club lost. Check he is okay.
Build the line
Build the line
I'm glad to hear that.
.
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You sit down with a friend. Ask how they are, the short way.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Is your project going well?
Läuft dein ____ gut?
Swap the word
Swap the word
A friend said the first half went well. Ask what happened next.
Was ist ____ passiert?
True or false?
True or false?
This line is an apology for something you did.
Say it — say it back
Now you're Priya on the Späti bench. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.
- JuleDie Demo ist gut gelaufen.The demo went well.
- Priya (you)Her demo went well. Cheer that news.
Her demo went well. Cheer that news.
Das sind tolle Nachrichten.
That's great news.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Oh nein! | Oh no! | |
| Das sind tolle Nachrichten. | That's great news. | |
| Das tut mir leid. | I'm sorry to hear that. | |
| Das ist schade. | That's a shame. | |
| Geht's dir gut? | Are you okay? | |
| Das freut mich zu hören. | I'm glad to hear that. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these reactions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your reactions ready for good news and bad news.
Open Yak Cards