Which Is Correct, Condolence Or Condolences? Answered

Condolence Is Sent To People Going Through Grief. Learn The Best Way To Send Your Love To People Experiencing Grief. 

Condolence Or Condolences: Experiencing the death of a family or loved one can be very heart breaking, however, one can express one’s sympathy for someone else’s loss using condolence. One of the biggest problems people however pass through is trying to figure out if condolence or condolences is right. Not finding the right term to use can discourage you from sending a word of prayer or sympathy.

Are you searching for information of the right usage of condolence or condolences? Then you have come to the right platform for this information. In this article, we are going to explore the right usage if this term to avoid mistakes as it can be quite confusing. If this is the information you are looking for, I would advise that you pay attention to the content of this article. Without wasting much of your time, let’s get right into it!

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What Is Condolence

Condolence is gotten from a Latin word “condolere” which means to grieve together and it is a statement or sentence you make to offer sympathy for a person’s loss. For instance, if a person dies, you give condolence to his or her immediate family and loved ones. You can simply give condolence to any grieving person; it is only courtesy when you do so.

What Does My Condolences Mean?

When you say “Accept my condolences” to a grieving person, it simply means that you understand what exactly they are going through and you feel sympathy for them. In the later part of this article, we are going to find out how to use this statement.

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Condolence Or Condolences

People always get confused when it comes to condolence or condolences. Although they look similar, they are not the same thing, there is a slight difference between the two words. We use “condolence” to modify a noun or a verb. However, “condolences” can only be used as an expression to show sympathy. For instance, you can say “Please accept my condolences” but not “please accept my condolence”. In some cases, you can take off other parts of the sentences and simply say “My condolences”. Which ever way you chose to say it, it means the same thing.

Saying “My condolences” also is usually used in an informal setting. You can say “My condolences” generally to everyone when you visit a grieving person as it is expected for you to do so instead of giving a gift. Using “My” when saying this shows that it is from you and your heart. So, next time, when you visit a grieving person and you do not have anything to say, just say “My condolences” instead of saying nothing.

In most cases however, you can use the singular and plural form of this word to mean the same thing and they would still both be correct. If you opt for this choice, be careful because “condolence” sounds more formal while “condolences” sounds more informal.

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When To Use “My Condolences”

We have mentioned earlier that you can use this phrase when showing sympathy to a grieving person. Anyone can tell you about their loss and instead of saying nothing, you can simply say “My condolences”.

What To Say If Some Says “My Condolences”

If you have just lost a family member or your loved one and someone, says “My condolences” to you, you can simply respond by saying “Thank you”.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I Give A Condolence Message To Someone Not Experiencing Grief?

No, a condolence message is only given to a grieving person.

2. Which Is Better Condolence Or Condolences?

Condolences is a more common expression

3. Is It Right To Say Condolences?

Yes, it means that you feel sympathy for whoever has lost a loved one.

Conclusion

This article has provided a detailed explanation on the right word to use either condolence or condolences. Although, these words are often been used interchangeably, the more common form is condolences. If you have any question on this topic, please let us know in the comment section down below.

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