Giving bad news in English

Unless you know someone well, or you work closely with them, it’s a good idea to avoid giving bad news without some sort of softening or cushioning word or phrase. Using a softening phrase gives the other person time to get ready to hear bad news. The other person can avoid losing their cool (and losing face) if they know some bad news is just ahead. Even a simple word like “Sorry” is better than nothing. Here are some more examples:

Informal - Neutral situations

I’m sorry to tell you this, but…
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but… (bearer = carrier, pronounced “bear – er”)
Um, we have a small problem.
Unfortunately, we…..
You know we…….? Well, we……
We’re very sorry indeed, but……
We’ve run into a couple of problems and …..

Neutral – Formal situations

I’m afraid to say that….
Regrettably ………
We have encountered a few difficulties with……
There has been a slight delay in…..