Feeling sorry about something — usually something you did, or failed to do, and now wish you had handled differently. A regretful person carries a quiet sadness about the past. It is a fairly formal, written-feeling word; in speech people are far more likely to say 'I feel bad about it' or 'I wish I hadn't'.

Feeling sorry about something對某件事感到抱歉——usually something you did, or failed to do通常是你做過的事，或該做卻沒做的事，and now wish you had handled differently而現在希望當初能用不同的方式處理。A regretful person一個regretful的人 carries a quiet sadness about the past心裡對過去帶著一種安靜的難過。It is a fairly formal, written-feeling word這是個相當正式、比較書面的字；in speech口語裡，people are far more likely to say大家更常說 'I feel bad about it'「I feel bad about it」（我對這件事感到很不好意思） or 'I wish I hadn't'或「I wish I hadn't」（真希望我當初沒那樣做）。

Most often it describes a look, a voice, a smile, or a shake of the head — the outside signs of the feeling rather than a big statement of it. 'He gave a regretful smile' means the smile had sadness in it, the smile of someone saying no when they wanted to say yes. That is where you will meet the word most.

Most often最常見的情況下，it describes它形容的是 a look, a voice, a smile, or a shake of the head一個表情、一種語氣、一個微笑、或搖頭的動作——the outside signs of the feeling是這種感受表現在外面的樣子，rather than a big statement of it而不是把這種感受大聲說出來。'He gave a regretful smile'「He gave a regretful smile」（他露出了帶著遺憾的微笑） means是說 the smile had sadness in it這個微笑裡帶著難過，the smile of someone saying no when they wanted to say yes就是那種心裡想說要，但嘴上說不要時的那種笑。That is where you will meet the word most這是你最常遇到這個字的地方。

Here is the part worth slowing down for: regretful and regrettable look like twins, but they sit on opposite sides. Regretful is about the PERSON who feels — only people (and their faces and voices) can be regretful. Regrettable is about the THING that happened — the event nobody is happy about.

Here is the part worth slowing down for這裡有個地方值得放慢腳步看清楚：regretful and regrettable regretful跟regrettable look like twins長得像雙胞胎，but they sit on opposite sides但其實站在相反的兩邊。Regretful is about the PERSON who feelsregretful講的是「感受到的那個人」——only people (and their faces and voices) can be regretful只有人（和人的表情、語氣）才可以是regretful。Regrettable is about the THING that happenedregrettable講的是「發生的那件事」——the event nobody is happy about指沒有人樂見的那個事件。

'He was regretful' means he felt sorry. 'It was regrettable' means it was a bad situation. Say 'a regretful mistake' and you have accidentally given feelings to the mistake itself.

'He was regretful'「He was regretful」 means he felt sorry意思是他覺得很抱歉。'It was regrettable'「It was regrettable」 means it was a bad situation意思是那是件很糟的事。Say 'a regretful mistake'要是你說「a regretful mistake」 and you have accidentally given feelings to the mistake itself你就等於不小心把感受安到那個錯誤本身頭上了。

Also, regretful is milder than it looks. It does not mean tortured by guilt. It is closer to 'wishing things had gone otherwise' — a soft, adult, slightly resigned feeling. For real guilt English reaches for 'remorseful' or 'ashamed'.

Also另外，regretful is milder than it looksregretful的語氣其實比看起來溫和。It does not mean tortured by guilt它不是指被罪惡感折磨。It is closer to它比較接近 'wishing things had gone otherwise'「wishing things had gone otherwise」（希望事情當初不是這樣）——a soft, adult, slightly resigned feeling是一種溫和、成熟、帶點認命的感覺。For real guilt真正講到罪惡感的時候，English reaches for英文會用 'remorseful' or 'ashamed'「remorseful」或「ashamed」這種字。