estar de luto
/estaɾ de luto/from spelling rules
To mourn in Spanish, you can use estar de luto or lamentar.
Meaning: express sadness for, grieve over (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| estar de luto | /estaɾ de luto/ (from spelling rules) |
| lamentar | /lamenˈtaɾ/ |
Estar de luto is the standard way to describe the state of being in mourning or the specific period of time following a death. The noun for mourning is el luto. Lamentar is used to express regret or sorrow, often regarding a specific situation or event rather than the physical state of grieving a person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase estar de luto literally means 'to be in mourning' or 'to be in black'.
Which one should you use?
While estar de luto refers to the state of mourning a person, lamentar is often used to express regret or sorrow over a situation or an event.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because estar de luto uses the verb estar, it is used to describe a temporary state of mourning.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaɾ de luto/
Did you know?
- In traditional Spanish culture, the period of luto could historically last for years, with a gradual transition from deep black to grey or purple clothing.
- The Spanish word luto was likely a semi-learned borrowing from the Latin lūctus. If it had evolved naturally through the usual rules of the language, it would be lucho today.
- While estar de luto refers to death, the verb lamentar is frequently used in professional emails to say 'I regret to inform you'.
Examples in context
- Me entristece mucho tu pérdidaI am deeply saddened by your loss
- Estoy de duelo por la muerte de…I am mourning the death of…
- Nos embarga la tristezaWe are overwhelmed by sadness
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mourn” translations and entries lamentar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, estar, lamentar, luto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
