bedauern
Translation
to regret, to be sorry about, to pity
Examples
Ich bedauere meine Entscheidung.
I regret my decision.
Er bedauert den armen Mann.
He pities the poor man.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to regret sth. I regret this mistake.
((sb.)) to pity sb. We pity the victims of the catastrophe.
Similar Words
bereuen (to repent); Antonyms: sich freuen über (to be happy about)
Etymology
Prefix 'be-' (makes verbs transitive) + 'dauern' (Old German for 'to feel pain/grief'). It implies something is causing you sorrow.
Memory Tips
The prefix 'be-' often acts upon an object. Think of it as 'bestowing sorrow' upon a situation.