Tentatively

[1268] I can imagine

🎲 That must be tough/difficult/hard
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • An expression of empathy and understanding towards someone describing a situation or feeling.
  • It conveys that the speaker can mentally picture or understand how the other person feels or what their experience must be like.

Origin

  • Standard English phrase using the verb imagine to signify understanding through mental conception or visualization.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • I bet.
  • I can see that.
  • That makes sense.
  • I understand.
  • Sounds rough/difficult/awful/etc.
  • I get it.
  • No doubt.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • I bet.
  • Word. (Acknowledgement/understanding)
  • Damn. / Oof. / Rough.
  • Sounds like hell. / Sounds like a nightmare.

More Empathetic/Formal:

  • That sounds incredibly difficult/stressful.
  • I can only imagine what that must have been like. (Slightly stronger)
  • I understand how that must feel.
  • My heart goes out to you. (For more serious situations)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Fuck, I can imagine.
  • Shit, I bet that sucked.
  • No fucking doubt.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Suitable for both informal and formal situations where expressing empathy is appropriate.
  • Requires a sincere tone to be effective.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Tone is critical. If said flatly, sarcastically, or dismissively, it can sound like I don't really care or even mocking. Ensure the tone matches the intended empathy.

Examples

  • Running that marathon must have been exhausting. Oh, I can imagine.
  • She was absolutely furious when she discovered the mistake. I can imagine.
  • Waiting in line for four hours sounds awful. Yeah, I can imagine.

Dialogue

Tom: The presentation in front of 200 people was nerve-wracking.

Lisa: Oof, I can imagine! I get nervous just talking to ten people.

Tom: Right? My hands were shaking!

Social Media Examples

  • Reply to a post about a travel nightmare: Cancelled flights and lost luggage? OMG, I can imagine how stressful that must have been! Hope the rest of your trip is better!
  • Friend: Just pulled an all-nighter to finish this paper. You: Dude, I can imagine. You must be exhausted.

Response Patterns

  • Yeah, it really was. / You bet.
  • Exactly.
  • A nod of agreement or a shared sigh.
  • It was [brief elaboration].

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After hearing I can imagine:

  • The original speaker might elaborate slightly, feeling understood.
  • The listener might ask a gentle follow-up question showing interest (Was that the worst part?) or offer further sympathy (That sounds really tough.).

Action:

  • Validates the speaker's feelings or experience.
  • Strengthens rapport and encourages connection.

Conversation Starter

  • No. It's a response showing empathy to someone's statement.

Intonation

  • Typically delivered with an empathetic, sincere tone.
  • Stress often falls on imagine. I can i-MA-gine.
  • Can sometimes be slightly drawn out for emphasis.

Generation Differences

  • Common across all generations.

Regional Variations

  • Standard across English-speaking regions.
Tentatively
🎲 That must be tough/difficult/hard