Regrets in Spanish: A full guide with 12 nuanced options

Regret is a universal emotion, and expressing it accurately in another language is crucial for effective communication. In Spanish, regret can be expressed using a handful of different verbs and nouns, each with their nuances. We also have several specific grammatical structures that provide us with additional ways to express regrets in Spanish.

We’ll explore each of these of these to see them all in action. By the end, you’ll be fully equipped to express regret in Spanish, helping you expand your vocabulary and improve your fluency.

Let’s get started!

Regrets in Spanish: Verbs

Here’s a look at some of the most common verbs that mean to regret in Spanish, along with examples of how they are used in various contexts.

Arrepentirse

Arrepentirse translates as to regret or to repent. It is often used to express remorse about doing or not doing things that are otherwise under one’s control.

Most often, I regret in Spanish is translated as me arrepiento. If you have no regrets in Spanish, perhaps you’ll also just want to know a few expressions to say it is what it is in Spanish!

• Me arrepiento de haber comido tantos dulces, ahora tengo muchas caries. – I regret having eaten so many sweets, now I have a lot of cavities.

• Luisa tenía ganas de acampar este fin de semana, pero se arrepentía. – Luisa was looking forward to camping this weekend, but she regretted it.

• ¡Arrepentíos, pecadores! – Repent, you sinners!

• Ellos me dijeron que no se arrepienten de no haber ido a mi fiesta. – They told me they don’t regret not going to my party.

Note that arrepentirse is a strictly reflexive verb. The pronoun se is always attached to the infinitive, while the proper reflexive pronoun always matches the subject.

Lamentar

Another common verb used to express regret is lamentar. This verb is similar to the English verb to lament, but it can also be interpreted as to be sorry or to regret. Lamentar is used in various contexts, from personal regrets to formal apologies.

• De verdad lamento no haber podido venir antes, estaba muy ocupada. – I’m really sorry I couldn’t come earlier, I was very busy.

• Lamentamos la muerte de tu abuelo. Cuentas con nosotros para lo que necesites. – We are sorry to hear about your grandfather’s death. You can count on us for whatever you need.

For other ways to say you’re sorry in Spanish, check out our post on Spanish apologies. We also have a dedicated post on expressing condolences in Spanish.

Sentir

While sentir generally means to feel in Spanish, it is also used to express regret, particularly in combination with other phrases. It works similarly to lamentar. This is the verb behind the most common Spanish apology: lo siento.

• Sentimos mucho lo que pasó ayer. – We are very sorry for what happened yesterday.

• Aunque se disculpó, estoy segura de que no lo siente. – Although he apologized, I’m sure he’s not sorry.

Apenarse

Apenarse is another verb used to express regrets in Spanish. While it functions similarly to the other verbs we’ve discussed, apenarse carries a stronger connotation of sadness, akin to feeling deeply sorry. Like arrepentirse, apenarse is also a reflexive verb.

• Me apena mucho verte llorar. – I’m so sorry to see you cry.

• A Juan le apena haberse perdido el partido por quedarse dormido. – Juan is sorry he missed the game because he fell asleep.

• No sabes cómo nos apena tener que decirte esto. – You don’t know how sorry we are to have to tell you this.

Regrets in Spanish: Nouns

As we have already pointed out, expressing regret isn’t limited to verbs. Spanish also has several nouns that convey this sentiment. So how do you say regrets in Spanish? Here are some of the most common nouns for this feeling, along with examples of how they are used in various contexts.

Arrepentimiento

Arrepentimiento is a masculine noun that translates as regret or remorse.

• Si no le pido perdón, no podré vivir con el arrepentimiento. – If I do not ask for forgiveness, I will not be able to live with the regret.

• Su arrepentimiento fue evidente durante toda la reunión. – His remorse was evident throughout the meeting.

Remordimiento

Remordimiento is also a masculine noun, usually translated as remorse.

• Siente un profundo remordimiento por haber mentido. – He feels deep remorse for having lied.

• El remordimiento lo atormentaba cada noche. – Remorse tormented him every night.

Disculpas

Disculpas is a plural feminine noun translating as regrets or apologies in Spanish. It is typically used to decline something politely in formal contexts; it’s not as common in casual conversation.

• Mi padre envía sus disculpas por faltar a la cena. Hoy está un poco indispuesto. – My father sends his apologies for missing dinner. He is a little unwell today.

Other ways to express Regret in Spanish

In addition to the straightforward verbs and nouns we’ve seen so far, there are also several compound sentence structures commonly used to express regret in Spanish.

We’re getting into advanced grammar here, so we include links to our posts on the specific verb tenses and verb forms we use in each construction.

Desear in conditional + haber + past participle

Using desear in the conditional tense is a way to express a wish or regret about something that didn’t happen.

This conditional conjugation of desear is then followed by the perfect infinitive of another verb that describes what is being regretted. The perfect infinitive is composed of the auxiliary verb haber in its infinitive form, and the past participle of the verb in question.

• Desearía no haberte conocido nunca. – I wish I had never met you.

• Papá desearía haber comprado el televisor cuando estaba en descuento. – Dad wishes he’d bought the TV when it was on sale.

• Desearíamos haber visitado Europa antes. – We wish we’d visited Europe sooner.

Deber in conditional + haber + past participle

Similar to the previous structure, using deber in the conditional tense, followed the other verb’s perfect infinitive, expresses regret about an action that should have been taken.

In this case, the person expressing this regret isn’t certain of it, but assumes that the action would have led to a different outcome.

• Debería haber estudiado más para el examen; quizá habría pasado. – I should have studied more for the exam; maybe I would have passed.

• Deberíamos haber llegado más temprano; tal vez no habríamos perdido el vuelo. – We should have arrived earlier; maybe we wouldn’t have missed the flight.

Deber in preterite + haber + past participle

Using deber in the preterite tense, followed by the perfect infinitive of another verb, expresses regret about the action that should have been done. In this case, the subject is certain of what they should have done to have avoided the actual outcome.

• Reprobé matemáticas, debí haber estudiado más para el examen. – I failed math, I should have studied more for the exam.

• La puerta ya está cerrada, debimos haber llegado más temprano. – The door is already closed, we should have come earlier.

Ojalá + verb in past perfect subjunctive

We use ojalá followed by the other verb in the past perfect subjunctive to express a strong wish or regret about the past.

This compound subjunctive tense is composed of the auxiliary verb haber conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive (of which there are two correct forms), followed by the past participle of the verb describing what is being regretted.

• Ojalá lo hubiera sabido antes. – I wish I had known it earlier.

• Ojalá hubieras venido a la fiesta. – I wish you had come to the party.

Si + past perfect subjunctive + conditional perfect

Si in Spanish means if, so this structure is equivalent to if only … then … in English. Using such si clauses in Spanish allows us to describe hypothetical situations with regrets about the past.

• Si hubiera traído mi paraguas, no me habría mojado. – If I had brought my umbrella, I wouldn’t have gotten wet.

• Si hubieras hablado más fuerte, te habrían escuchado. – If you had spoken louder, they would have listened to you.

Conclusion

Understanding how to express regrets in Spanish is crucial for effective and nuanced communication.

As we’ve seen in today’s post, we have many ways to convey this emotion. We saw a number of different verbs and nouns that each indicate some level of regret, as well as several specific grammatical structures that allow us to use other verbs to describe what we regret. Each form carries its own nuances, helping accurately reflect the depth of the regret or sorrow.

Whether you’re dealing with personal remorse or reflecting on hypothetical situations, this guide to regret in Spanish has equipped you with the tools to communicate your feelings effectively in Spanish. Well done!

Stay tuned for our next post. ¡No te arrepentirás! – You won’t regret it!