Learn Hardcore Japanese: kyou ha ame de zannen desu. - It’s a shame it’s raining today.

In Japanese, は marks the topic. 今日は means “as for today.” It frames what you’re talking about and can imply contrast with other days. Without は (今日、雨で…) is possible in casual speech, but は is the default.

Why is there で after 雨? Why not 雨です?

で here links the reason to the evaluation: “It’s raining, so…”. You can view it as the て-form of the copula だ (雨だ→雨で) or as the causal particle “due to.” Either way, 雨で残念です ≈ “Because it’s raining, it’s unfortunate.”

Can I use だから or ので instead of で? What’s the difference?

雨なので残念です: polite/softer and matches です-style.
雨だから残念です: more blunt; with です it mixes registers. Prefer 雨ですから残念です or 雨なので in polite speech.
雨で残念です: compact and very common; feels like stating background reason.

What exactly does 残念 mean? Is it like “sorry”?

残念 means “unfortunate/what a pity/disappointing.” It expresses regret about a situation, not an apology. Don’t use it instead of すみません／ごめんなさい. For serious misfortune, 残念 can sound too light.

What part of speech is 残念, and how does it behave?

残念 is a na-adjective. Predicative: 残念だ／残念です. Attributive: 残念な + noun (e.g., 残念な結果).

Can I drop です or use だ instead?

Yes. Casual: 今日は雨で残念だ or just 今日は雨で残念. Polite: …残念です. Don’t mix だ with です in the same sentence.

Who is “disappointed” here? Where is the subject?

It’s omitted. The default interpretation is the speaker (or an understood group from context). You can add 私は to be explicit—（私は）今日は雨で残念です—but it’s usually unnecessary.

Is 雨 a noun or an adjective? How do you say “It’s raining”?

雨 is a noun (“rain”). Weather is often stated with nouns: 雨だ／雨です. To describe the action, use the verb: 雨が降っています (“It is raining”).

Is this で the same as the place marker “at/in”?

Not here. Locative で marks where an action happens (学校で勉強する). In 雨で残念です, で gives a cause or links a reason: “because it’s raining.” Compare: 雨で試合が中止になった (“The game was canceled due to rain”).

Can I say 雨が残念です?

Not idiomatic. Say 雨で残念です, 雨なので残念です, or mention the specific event: 雨が降って残念です／雨で試合が中止になって残念です.

Are spaces normal in Japanese sentences?

No. They’re used in teaching materials. Standard writing is: 今日は雨で残念です。

Can I add sentence-ending particles like ね or よ?

Yes. …残念ですね seeks empathy (“right?”). …残念だね／ねえ is casual/emotive. …残念ですよ asserts the speaker’s stance.

How do I connect other reasons—do I always use で?

Nouns/na-adjectives use で: 台風で大変です; 不運で残念です.
い-adjectives use くて: 寒くて残念です; 忙しくて行けません.

Any more idiomatic alternatives to say this?

Common options:

あいにく雨ですね。 (“Unfortunately, it’s raining.”)
雨でがっかりです。 (“I’m disappointed because of the rain.”)
あいにくの雨で、予定が変わりました。

How do I read/pronounce the sentence?

Kana: きょうはあめでざんねんです。 Romaji: Kyō wa ame de zannen desu. Note: 雨（あめ） has HL pitch in Tokyo Japanese (Á-me), different from 飴（あめ） “candy” (LH).