“I hate to say 'I told you so', but...”
You and your boyfriend disagreed about when to arrive at the airport to catch a flight. You thought that you should go earlier, but he wanted to go later. Now you've missed your flight. You're annoyed, so you say this to him.
I hate to say 'I told you so', but...
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I hate to (do something), but...
When people have to tell someone something negative, they often start with "I hate to ___, but..." For example:
I hate to have to tell you this, but your job has been eliminated.
I really hate to ask, but is there any way I could stay with you for a couple of weeks, until I find my own place?
When you start the conversation in this way, it sounds like you don't want to say these things, but you are doing it because you have to.
I told you so.
"I told you so" is a set expression in English that means "I was right, and you were wrong." You say "I told you so" when:
- you disagreed with someone about a choice
- the other person didn't listen to your advice
- the other person's choice turns out to be wrong
"I told you so" sounds a little mean, so if you're really trying to be polite, you should avoid saying it. People also introduce it like this:
I hate to say it, but I told you so.
I hate to say 'I told you so', but...