Mitleid empfinden
feel sympathy
Mitleid empfinden is a German expression used to express feeling sympathy or compassion for someone. The verb 'empfinden' means 'to feel' and 'Mitleid' is 'sympathy' or 'compassion'. This phrase is often used when someone is going through a difficult time and you want to express your understanding and empathy for their situation.
Example sentences using: Mitleid empfinden
Sie konnte nicht umhin, Mitleid zu empfinden, als sie den alten Mann dort sitzen sah.
She couldn't help feeling sorry when she saw the old man sitting there.
In this phrase, the action indicates an uncontrollable feeling of sympathy towards an old man. The subject could not help but feel pity when she observed the old man in a possibly distressed condition.
Seine Geschichte machte, dass ich Mitleid empfand.
His story made me feel sympathy.
The English translation has almost the same structure as the German sentence, although the verb 'empfinden' (feel) comes at the end in German. The phrase indicates that the subject felt sympathy as a result of listening to someone's story.
Obwohl er selbst arm war, empfand er Mitleid mit anderen.
Although he was poor himself, he felt pity for others.
This phrase tells about a person who, despite his own difficult condition (being poor), is capable of empathizing and feeling sorry for others.