жаль

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Old Church Slavonic

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *žalь. Cognates include Old Norse kvelja, Old English cwellan, Old High German quellan, Old Armenian կեղ (keł, sore, ulcer).

Noun

жаль (žalĭf

  1. grave

Declension

Declension of жаль (i-stem)
singular dual plural
nominative жаль
žalĭ
жали
žali
жали
žali
genitive жали
žali
жалью, жалию
žalĭju, žaliju
жальи, жалии
žalĭi, žalii
dative жали
žali
жальма
žalĭma
жальмъ
žalĭmŭ
accusative жаль
žalĭ
жали
žali
жали
žali
instrumental жальѭ, жалиѭ
žalĭjǫ, žalijǫ
жальма
žalĭma
жальми
žalĭmi
locative жали
žali
жалью, жалию
žalĭju, žaliju
жальхъ
žalĭxŭ
vocative жали
žali
жали
žali
жальѥ, жалиѥ
žalĭje, žalije

Russian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
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Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *žalь.

Predicative

жаль (žalʹ) (invariable, impersonal form)

  1. it's a pity
    как жаль!kak žalʹ!what a pity!
    о́чень жаль.óčenʹ žalʹ.more's the pity.
  2. one pities, one is sorry
    Ему́ жаль её.Jemú žalʹ jejó.He pities her.
    Мне жаль смотре́ть на неё.Mne žalʹ smotrétʹ na nejó.It grieves me to look at her.
    Ему́ жаль куска́ хле́ба.Jemú žalʹ kuská xléba.He begrudges a crust of bread.
    • 1903, Антон Чехов , “chapter I”, in Невеста, Санкт-Петербург: Журнал для всех; English translation from Robert Payne, transl., The Bride, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963:
      Она́, высо́кая, краси́вая, стро́йная, каза́лась тепе́рь ря́дом с ним о́чень здоро́вой и наря́дной; она́ чу́вствовала э́то, и ей бы́ло жаль его́ и почему́-то нело́вко.
      Oná, vysókaja, krasívaja, strójnaja, kazálasʹ tepérʹ rjádom s nim óčenʹ zdoróvoj i narjádnoj; oná čúvstvovala éto, i jej býlo žalʹ jevó i počemú-to nelóvko.
      She was tall, beautiful, well formed, and looked almost offensively healthy and stylishly dressed beside him; she was even conscious of this herself, and felt sorry for him, and strangely awkward.
Descendants
  • Bashkir: йәл (yəl, it's a pity)
  • Finnish: sääli (pity, mercy)
  • Ingrian: žaali (a pity)
  • Tatar: жәл (jäl, it's a pity)
  • Votic: žaali (a pity)

Etymology 2

Verb

жаль (žalʹ)

  1. second-person singular imperative imperfective of жа́лить (žálitʹ, bite, sting)

Ukrainian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *žalь.

Pronunciation

Noun

жаль (žalʹm inan (genitive жа́лю or жалю́, nominative plural жалі́, genitive plural жалі́в)

  1. regret, grief, sorrow (emotional pain on account of something done or experienced in the past, with a wish that it had been different)
  2. pity
    Synonyms: жа́лість f (žálistʹ), жа́лощі pl (žálošči)

Declension

Declension of жаль
(inan soft masc-form accent-c/b)
singular plural
nominative жаль
žalʹ
жалі́
žalí
genitive жа́лю, жалю́
žálju, žaljú
жалі́в
žalív
dative жа́леві, жа́лю, жале́ві, жалю́
žálevi, žálju, žalévi, žaljú
жаля́м
žaljám
accusative жаль
žalʹ
жалі́
žalí
instrumental жа́лем, жале́м
žálem, žalém
жаля́ми
žaljámy
locative жа́лю, жа́лі, жалю́, жалі́
žálju, žáli, žaljú, žalí
жаля́х
žaljáx
vocative жа́лю
žálju
жалі́
žalí

Derived terms

Predicative

жаль (žalʹ)

  1. (it is) a pity
  2. (with the subject in the dative case) (one) feels sorry (for), pities

Synonyms

References