“I know how you feel. I went through the same thing after my father passed away.”

English Lesson: I know how you feel. I went through the same thing after my father passed away.

You're talking with a friend whose mother died a few months ago. She admits that it has been very hard for her. You've had a similar experience before, so you show your sympathy.

I know how you feel. I went through the same thing after my father passed away.

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go through (something)

People use the phrase "go through ___" to describe negative experiences. "Go through" means to experience something negative or difficult. Some examples include:

go through a divorce

go through a tough time

go through a period of weak sales

go through childbirth

There are some other totally different meanings of "go through". One is to search and examine things in a list or a collection:

We should sit down and go through the details later this week.

Another meaning of "go through" is to use a person or agency to do something for you instead of doing it directly yourself:

Are you going through a recruitment agency?

It's best to remember each of these meanings separately.

my father

When you're talking about your father, you can call him "my father". "My father" sounds a bit formal.

When you're speaking to your father, you should use a term of address such as these:

  • "Dad" is the standard way that most people call their fathers.
  • "Daddy" is how young children might talk call their fathers. Most people stop calling their fathers "Daddy" in their teenage years, but some people continue to do so even as adults.
  • Some groups of people use the word "Pop" to refer to their fathers. It's not as common as "Dad", though.
  • Calling your father "Father" seems extremely formal.

A similar explanation of the words for talking about your mother can be read in this lesson:

Mom, the faucet's dripping!

I know how you feel.

When someone shares their negative feelings (like sadness, frustration, anger, etc.) with you, a common response is "I know how you feel."

For example:

A: I feel like they never respect me, no matter what I do.

B: I know how you feel. It's really frustrating trying to get your parents to respect you as an adult.

"I know how you feel" sounds thoughtful and supportive.

(someone) passed away

Use the phrasal verb "pass away" to talk about someone dying in a polite way.

This is rude:

I'm so sorry to hear that your father died.

This is much more acceptable:

I'm so sorry to hear that your father passed away.

If you're talking about someone with no connection to you or to your listener, you can say that they "died":

Elvis Presley died in 1977.