vara synd om

== Swedish == === Etymology === vara (“be”) +‎ synd (literally "sin" – can be thought of as pity / sorriness here (in the sense of feeling sorry for someone)) +‎ om (“about”) === Verb === 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, to make one feel sorry, to be a pity for ==== Usage notes ==== "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). ==== See also ==== stackare stackars tycka synd om === References === “synd”, in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker [Dictionaries of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)