Мне жаль, что ты промок под дождём и теперь кашляешь.

I’m sorry that you got soaked in the rain and are coughing now.

Breakdown of Мне жаль, что ты промок под дождём и теперь кашляешь.

• я: I
• и: and
• дождь: the rain
• что: that

Questions & Answers about Мне жаль, что ты промок под дождём и теперь кашляешь.

Why does the sentence start with Мне жаль? Why not Я жалею?

Мне жаль is a very common way to say I’m sorry in the sense of I feel sorry / I regret that.

Literally, it is closer to To me, it is a pity or It is sad to me. Russian often uses this impersonal pattern for feelings and states.

Я жалею does exist, but it usually means I regret or I pity in a more direct, lexical way, and it does not sound as natural here. In everyday speech, Мне жаль, что... is the normal choice.

Is Мне жаль an apology here?

Usually no. In this sentence, Мне жаль expresses sympathy or regret, not an apology.

So it means something like:

• I’m sorry that happened to you
• I feel bad that this happened

If you want to apologize directly, Russian normally uses:

• Прости / Простите
• Извини / Извините

So Мне жаль is closer to emotional sympathy than to sorry in the sense of excuse me / my fault.

Why is мне in the dative case?