When someone is grieving, a few sincere words are better than a long letter. Most people who get a sympathy card read it more than once, and a short, kind note is easy to take in on a hard day.
Here are short sympathy messages and short condolence messages you can write in a card, sorted by who you are writing to. Most are one or two sentences.
Article contents
- How to Write a Short Sympathy Message
- Short Sympathy Messages
- Short Condolence Messages
- Sorry for Your Loss Messages
- Short Sympathy Messages for a Friend
- Short Sympathy Messages for a Coworker
- Short Sympathy Messages for Family
- Short Sympathy Messages for a Neighbor or Acquaintance
- Short Sympathy Messages for the Loss of a Pet
- Short Religious Sympathy Messages
- Short Sympathy Sign-Offs
- What to Avoid in a Short Sympathy Message
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Write a Short Sympathy Message
- Say you are sorry. "I am so sorry for your loss" is a fine start.
- Name the person who died, if you can. Using their name shows you remember them.
- Add one kind line. A memory, a quality you admired, or a note that you are thinking of them.
- Sign with love or care. "With sympathy" or "Thinking of you" works.
Example: "Dear Karen, I am so sorry about your dad. He always had a smile for everyone at church. Thinking of you and your family. With love, Beth"
Short Sympathy Messages
- I am so sorry for your loss.
- Thinking of you and your family.
- With deepest sympathy.
- Holding you close in my thoughts.
- Sending you love and strength.
- I am here for you, today and in the weeks ahead.
- So sorry. Sending hugs.
- Wishing you peace and comfort.
- You are in my heart.
- Remembering your mom with you today.
- With love and sympathy.
- Sharing in your sadness.
- I will miss him too.
- She will be deeply missed.
- There are no words. I am so sorry.
Short Condolence Messages
"Condolences" is a little more formal than "sympathy." It works well for coworkers, clients and people you know less well.
- Please accept my deepest condolences.
- My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
- With sincere condolences.
- Our condolences on the loss of your father.
- My condolences, and my thoughts are with you.
- Please accept our condolences and our love.
Sorry for Your Loss Messages
"Sorry for your loss" is the most common line in a sympathy card. These messages keep that wording and add one more thought.
- I am so sorry for your loss. There are no right words, but I'm here.
- I'm so sorry about your dad. He was always so kind to me.
- So sorry for your loss. Thinking of you and the whole family.
- I was so sorry to hear about your grandmother. Sending you love.
- Sorry for your loss, my friend. Call me any time, day or night.
- I'm sorry for your loss and for the hard days ahead. I'll be checking in.
- We are so sorry for your loss. Please let us know how we can help.
- I'm sorry for your loss. Your mom touched so many lives.
- Words are not enough, but I am so sorry for your loss.
- Sorry for your loss. I will always remember his big laugh and bigger heart.
Short Sympathy Messages for a Friend
- I love you, and I am here for anything you need.
- I am so sorry, friend. Call me anytime, day or night.
- I know how much you loved her. Thinking of you.
- I will be over this weekend with dinner. No need to reply.
- I am so sorry. He was one of the good ones.
- Sending you all my love. I am just a text away.
Short Sympathy Messages for a Coworker
- I am so sorry for your loss. Please take all the time you need.
- Thinking of you and your family during this hard time.
- The whole team is thinking of you. We are so sorry.
- With sympathy from all of us at the office.
- Please let me know if I can help with anything at work.
Short Sympathy Messages for Family
- I am so sorry, Aunt Linda. Uncle Joe was a wonderful man.
- We are heartbroken with you. We love you.
- Grandma was the heart of our family. I will miss her so much.
- Thinking of you, Mom. I am here whenever you need me.
- He loved you all so much. We are so sorry.
Short Sympathy Messages for a Neighbor or Acquaintance
- We were so sorry to hear about your husband. Please let us know if we can help.
- Thinking of you and your family. We are right next door.
- With sympathy from the Garcia family.
- We are sorry for your loss. She always waved to us from the garden.
Short Sympathy Messages for the Loss of a Pet
For more, see our pet sympathy messages.
- I am so sorry about Max. He was such a good dog.
- Thinking of you. I know how much you loved her.
- So sorry about Bella. She was lucky to have you.
- Sending love. Losing a pet is losing family.
Short Religious Sympathy Messages
The verses are from the New International Version (NIV). Use a religious message when you know the family shares your faith.
- Praying for you and your family.
- May God comfort you and give you peace.
- Holding you in my prayers.
- She is at peace with the Lord.
- "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
- "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
- "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
- "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." (John 14:27)
- "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Short Sympathy Sign-Offs
- With sympathy,
- With love,
- Thinking of you,
- With heartfelt condolences,
- Holding you close,
- In sympathy and love,
What to Avoid in a Short Sympathy Message
- "I know how you feel." Every loss is different.
- "Everything happens for a reason."
- "At least they lived a long life." Leave out any sentence that starts with "at least."
- Details about how the person died.
- Advice about how to grieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a short sympathy message?
One or two sentences that say you are sorry and that you care, such as "I am so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you and your family."
Is a short sympathy card rude?
No. A short, sincere note is better than no card at all, and many grieving people find long letters hard to read in the first weeks.
What is the difference between sympathy and condolences?
They mean nearly the same thing. "Condolences" sounds a little more formal, so it fits coworkers and acquaintances. "Sympathy" works for anyone.
Should I mention the person who died by name?
Yes, if you know it. Hearing their loved one's name is often a comfort to the family.
To open your card with a quote, see our grief quotes for a sympathy card. For longer messages, see our full guide to what to write in a sympathy card, sympathy messages for the loss of a mother, sympathy messages for the loss of a father, and Christian sympathy messages and Bible verses. You can also filter by tone in the Message Finder. Our sympathy cards are blank inside with an envelope for every card.
