it was disappointed I could not see you vs it was a pity I could not see you

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. 'It was disappointed I could not see you' implies that the speaker was the one feeling disappointed, while 'It was a pity I could not see you' suggests that the situation itself was unfortunate. The choice between the two depends on whether you want to emphasize the personal feeling of disappointment or the general sense of regret.

Last updated: April 01, 2024 • 980 views

This phrase is not correct in English. 'Disappointed' is an adjective that describes a feeling, not a subject that can be 'it was'.

"it was disappointed I could not see you"

Incorrect. Instead, you could say 'I was disappointed I could not see you.'

Show examples from the web [+]

Not knowing why, K. was disappointed to see his assistants obviously sent to him by Frieda.
I was disappointed to see the common position amended.
Which is why I was disappointed to see Don put Fred Rumsen on this.
Mr President, on behalf of my group I should like to say I was disappointed to see that Amendment 6 from the Committee went through.
I am disappointed to see you engage in that.
I was disappointed to see that in the decision of Parliament and Council establishing the "Youth" Community action programme, reference to the family has been removed in final conciliation negotiations.
I was disappointed to see that the report pays scant attention to relations among cultures, minorities, national or ethnic groups, or among the countries they live in.
I was disappointed to see the Committee on Regional Development voting in favour, although it did not do so unanimously, as Mr Hegyi stated, as I and several others voted against.
I am disappointed to see you engage in that.
Miss Prendergast, I must say I'm disappointed to see you here with these two.
Disappointed I didn't see the glass myself.
No, then I could not see you so well.
I was disappointed to see that the Council blocked the possibility of increasing the proportion of EU cofinancing to 100%, even temporarily and in the form of an advance payment that would be offset in the later years of the programmes.
Beth and Dave will be disappointed not to see you, that's all.
But I missed that day I could not see.
I must tell you, though, she was most disappointed not to see you before she left.
So, I'm very disappointed to see a different situation with the CDC dealing with autism.
I am disappointed to see that our Kuwaiti brothers appear amused and unconcerned.
Problem is, I could not see the beauty mark on the TV.
I could not see him beaten.

Alternatives:

I was disappointed I could not see you.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"it was a pity I could not see you"

This phrase is used to express regret or disappointment about a situation. It implies that the situation itself was unfortunate.

Examples:

It was a pity I could not see you at the party.

Show examples from the web [+]

It was a pity not to see the dances of the first act (truth said, they were stiffly touched upon by the Nymphs).
One of the younger dons mentioned it was a pity we didn't see more people like that coming to Oxford.
It's a pity to see you wasted like this.
A pity I so seldom see him.
What a pity it is to see you in this place.
Anyhow, it was a pity.
It was a pity that the Lisbon conclusions did not call for a timetable.
It was a pity to look at it.
It was a pity we couldn't stay longer.
Lastly, he said it was a pity the Council and the Commission had not listened to Parliament more closely on this issue in the past.
It was a pity nothing was said at Tampere about rights to access information and documents despite transparency being cited as one of the important principles.
That is quite right and very welcome, though it was a pity he only devoted one sentence in his opening speech to it.
Clearly it was a pity that the Commissioner was prevented from attending for family reasons.
So it was a pity date?
It was a pity that this house is too popular to stay for long time.
It was a pity that we do so at the court life could not participate properly and was always the way to the meals in between.
It was a pity, because the Italian GT is a reference series too.
I sold a dress, but it was a pity purchase and it doesn't count.
It was almost a pity to see the sun shining constantly over so useless a country; such splendid weather ought to have brightened fields and pretty gardens.
Spread Good by all means. It is a pity to see how sometimes a speck of dust stops an entire wheel.

Alternatives:

It was unfortunate I could not see you.
It was regrettable I could not see you.
I regret not being able to see you.
I wish I could have seen you.

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it was disappointed I could not see you vs it was a pity I could not see you