Callie Anderson teaches English phrases for expressing sympathy after someone dies. "My condolences" and "I'm sorry for your loss" are standard at funerals. "I'm sorry" works too, even though it's not an apology but a way to acknowledge bad news.
My Aunt Shirley has died. My condolences. Keep them. My condolences is a very common way to express sympathy after someone passes away. So if you go to a funeral in the US, you'll probably hear this phrase. It's also very common to say I'm sorry for your loss. In the US, we often say I'm sorry when somebody tells us bad news. We're not apologizing, but it's kind of like saying, "I'm so sorry that happened to you." If your friend says, "My grandma just passed away," you can say, "My condolences," "I'm so sorry for your loss," "I'm so sorry to hear that," or simply, "I'm so sorry."
