The adverb of regrettable. It has two jobs, and they feel quite different.

regrettable這個字 the adverb of的副詞形式 It has它有 two jobs兩種用法 and they feel quite different而且感覺很不一樣

Most of the time it sits at the front of a sentence and comments on the whole thing that follows — 'Regrettably, the concert has been cancelled.' Here it means roughly 'sadly' or 'unfortunately': the speaker is saying 'I'm sorry to report this' before delivering bad news. Used this way it is a softener, a small formal cushion placed under an unwelcome fact. Newspapers, letters, and announcements love it.

Most of the time大多數時候 it sits at the front of a sentence它放在句子最前面 and comments on the whole thing that follows針對後面整句話做評論 'Regrettably, the concert has been cancelled.'就像「遺憾地，音樂會取消了。」這樣 Here it means roughly這裡的意思大概是 'sadly' or 'unfortunately'「遺憾地」或「可惜地」 the speaker is saying說話者其實是在說 'I'm sorry to report this'「很遺憾要跟你說這件事」 before delivering bad news然後才說出壞消息 Used this way這樣用的時候 it is a softener它是一種緩和語氣的說法 a small formal cushion placed under an unwelcome fact像是在不好的消息底下墊一個正式的小軟墊 Newspapers, letters, and announcements報紙、書信和公告 love it都很愛用這個字

Its other job is smaller and more literal — sitting next to an adjective to mean 'to a degree one wishes were otherwise': 'regrettably few people applied', 'a regrettably common problem'. Here it works like 'unfortunately' modifying a quantity.

Its other job它的另一個用法 is smaller and more literal比較小、比較字面 sitting next to an adjective緊接在形容詞前面 to mean 'to a degree one wishes were otherwise'表示程度上不是我們希望的那樣 'regrettably few people applied'「很遺憾，報名人數少得可憐」 'a regrettably common problem'「一個遺憾地相當常見的問題」 Here it works like這裡的用法就像 'unfortunately'「可惜地」 modifying a quantity在修飾一個數量

Register matters. This is a formal word. In conversation you would say 'unfortunately', 'sadly', or just 'sorry, but —'. If a friend asks you to dinner and you begin 'Regrettably, I have other plans', you will sound like a letter from a bank. That distance is sometimes exactly what you want — in a polite refusal to someone senior, in an email you need to keep professional — but choose it on purpose.

Register語域 matters很重要 This is這是 a formal word一個正式的字 In conversation在口語對話中 you would say你會說 'unfortunately', 'sadly', or just 'sorry, but —'「可惜」、「很遺憾」，或直接說「不好意思，但…」 If a friend asks you to dinner如果朋友約你吃飯 and you begin而你開口就說 'Regrettably, I have other plans'「很遺憾，我已經有其他安排了」 you will sound like a letter from a bank聽起來就會像銀行寄來的信 That distance這種距離感 is sometimes exactly what you want有時候正是你要的 in a polite refusal to someone senior在禮貌回絕長輩或上司的時候 in an email you need to keep professional在需要保持專業的email裡 but choose it on purpose但要刻意選用才好