"Oh no!" - How do the Japanese express feelings of negative shock towards bad news?


Person A : "I am sick today"

Person B : "Oh no!"

How do the Japanese express feelings of negative shock towards bad news? What
would Person B say in Japanese?




Depends on the case - there are many ways to express a negative surprise.

Example using 大変ですね which expresses some, but not excessive sympathy and
cannot be used for "really bad" news. In some case can sound ironic, so be
careful:

>   * 今朝、寝坊しました。// I overslept today
>   * 大変ですね！ - // literally "so hard isn't it?", actually kind of "i am sorry
> for you" but without excessive sympathy.
>

Another example with 大変, this time much stronger one:

>   * 火事だ！ // It's fire!
>   * あら！大変！ // literally "hard", actually kind of "oh no!"
>

An example using 残念:

>   * ハズレだ！ // (the lottery ticket) did not win
>   * 残念ですね。// literally "regretful, isn't it?", actually "I am sorry for
> you".
>

An example using どうしよう:

>   * 津波だ！逃げろ！ // Tsunami is coming! Run!
>   * やばい、どうしよう。 // literally "horrible, what should I (we) do?", actually
> expresses some distraction and (negative) surprise.
>

An example using びっくり:

> In this situation a person is surprised by a something in the dark but then
> it turned out it was a cat: - びっくりした！！！ // Literally means "I was
> surprised!", actually it means "I was surprised" but expressing kind of
> relief.

As for actual "I am sick today" the following would sound very natural:

>   * 風邪をひいてしまった。 // I'v got a cold today
>   * 大丈夫？お大事に！ // Are you ok? Get well soon! (お大事に) is an etiquette word used
> to express sympathy for one's sickness. The full variant is お大事にしてください。
>

An example using 嫌だ (いやだ), heard extremely often, especially among women:

>   * 施術しなければなりません。// You must do surgery...
>   * 嫌だ〜！ // Literally "I hate it", actually a common expression of negative
> surprise.
>

An example using 嘘 (うそ), used quite often too:

>   * ○○ちゃんは事故った。 // Ms. ○○ got into an accident.
>   * 嘘？ // Literally "lying?", actually a common expression of negative
> surprise and disbelief.
>

Finally, an examples which is little rude, but still heard very often:

>   * やっぱり、動かないんだ。まいった! // Apparently it does not work. What a bummer!
>




Depends on the case - there are many ways to express a negative surprise.

Example using 大変ですね which expresses some, but not excessive sympathy and
cannot be used for "really bad" news. In some case can sound ironic, so be
careful:

>   * 今朝、寝坊しました。// I overslept today
>   * 大変ですね！ - // literally "so hard isn't it?", actually kind of "i am sorry
> for you" but without excessive sympathy.
>

Another example with 大変, this time much stronger one:

>   * 火事だ！ // It's fire!
>   * あら！大変！ // literally "hard", actually kind of "oh no!"
>

An example using 残念:

>   * ハズレだ！ // (the lottery ticket) did not win
>   * 残念ですね。// literally "regretful, isn't it?", actually "I am sorry for
> you".
>

An example using どうしよう:

>   * 津波だ！逃げろ！ // Tsunami is coming! Run!
>   * やばい、どうしよう。 // literally "horrible, what should I (we) do?", actually
> expresses some distraction and (negative) surprise.
>

An example using びっくり:

> In this situation a person is surprised by a something in the dark but then
> it turned out it was a cat: - びっくりした！！！ // Literally means "I was
> surprised!", actually it means "I was surprised" but expressing kind of
> relief.

As for actual "I am sick today" the following would sound very natural:

>   * 風邪をひいてしまった。 // I'v got a cold today
>   * 大丈夫？お大事に！ // Are you ok? Get well soon! (お大事に) is an etiquette word used
> to express sympathy for one's sickness. The full variant is お大事にしてください。
>

An example using 嫌だ (いやだ), heard extremely often, especially among women:

>   * 施術しなければなりません。// You must do surgery...
>   * 嫌だ〜！ // Literally "I hate it", actually a common expression of negative
> surprise.
>

An example using 嘘 (うそ), used quite often too:

>   * ○○ちゃんは事故った。 // Ms. ○○ got into an accident.
>   * 嘘？ // Literally "lying?", actually a common expression of negative
> surprise and disbelief.
>

Finally, an examples which is little rude, but still heard very often:

>   * やっぱり、動かないんだ。まいった! // Apparently it does not work. What a bummer!
>

