Schade, wir verpassen den Zug.

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Breakdown of Schade, wir verpassen den Zug.

• der Zug: the train
• den: the; (masculine, accusative)
• verpassen: to miss

Questions & Answers about Schade, wir verpassen den Zug.

What does Schade mean, and how is it different from Leider?

Both express regret, but they differ in tone.

• Schade = “what a pity/too bad.” It’s emotive and sympathetic.
• Leider = “unfortunately.” It’s more neutral/factual and often used in more formal or informative statements. Examples:
• Schade, wir verpassen den Zug. (Emotional reaction)
• Leider verpassen wir den Zug. (Matter-of-fact information)

Why is there a comma after Schade?

Schade is used as an interjection and is separated from the main clause by a comma. You could also write it as its own sentence (Schade! Wir verpassen den Zug.) or use it in a dass-clause (Schade, dass …). Without punctuation after the interjection is considered incorrect in standard writing.

Why is the present tense (wir verpassen) used when the train hasn’t been missed yet?

German commonly uses the present tense for near-future events, especially scheduled ones like trains. It corresponds to English “we’re going to miss” or “we will miss.” You can use the future (wir werden den Zug verpassen) for a prediction or emphasis, but it’s not required.

What case is den Zug, and why is it den and not der or dem?