lamento escuchar eso
/lamento eskut͡ʃaɾ eso/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'sorry to hear' is expressed as lamento escuchar eso.
This phrase is used to express sympathy or sadness after learning about someone's bad news or misfortune. While lamento escuchar eso is a direct translation of the English phrase, native speakers more commonly use the shorter phrase lo siento to express sympathy for bad news. For more natural and common ways to express deep sympathy for a specific misfortune, you might say siento mucho lo que pasó.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'I regret to hear that'.
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, lamento expresses regret or sorrow regarding a situation, whereas perdón or disculpa is used when asking for forgiveness for a mistake you personally made.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Different Spanish-speaking regions have their own ways to express sympathy: • In Spain, Lamento lo sucedido and Siento mucho que hayas tenido esa mala noticia are common. • In Mexico, Qué lástima is an informal way to show sympathy. • In Argentina, you can use the informal expressions Qué bajón or Qué macana. • In some Latin American countries, Vaya, qué mala onda is an informal way to say 'Wow, what a bummer'.
How do you pronounce it?
/lamento eskutʃaɾ eso/
Did you know?
- The verb escuchar shares a common ancestor with the medical term auscultar. Both words are derived from the Latin roots for listening, such as when a doctor listens to a patient's heart.
- In many Latin American countries, you might hear the informal expression Vaya, qué mala onda to respond to bad news. This phrase uses the word onda, which means 'wave', to describe the 'vibe' or energy of a situation.
- In Mexico, the expression Qué lástima is highly versatile and can be used for everything from a personal tragedy to the minor inconvenience of a closed shop.
Examples in context
- Lamento escuchar eso. Si necesitas algo, no dudes en decírmelo.I'm sorry to hear that. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know.
- Siento mucho enterarme de su pérdida. Mis condolencias a toda su familia.I am very sorry to hear about your loss. My condolences to your entire family.
- Me entristece oír esa noticia. Por favor, hágame saber si hay algo en lo que pueda ayudar.I am saddened to hear that news. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
- ¡Qué pena! Espero que las cosas mejoren pronto.What a shame! I hope things get better soon.
- Lo siento mucho, tío. Si necesitas hablar, aquí estoy para ti.I'm really sorry, dude. If you need to talk, I'm here for you.
- Vaya, qué mala onda. Si necesitas desahogarte, cuenta conmigo.Wow, a bummer. If you need to vent, count on me.
- Lamento escuchar eso, ¿hay algo que pueda hacer?I am sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do?
Example conversation
Javier tells Lucía that he lost his job.
- LucíaHola Javier, ¿cómo va todo?Hi Javier, how is everything going?
- JavierMal, Lucía. Me despidieron ayer del trabajo.Bad, Lucía. I was fired from work yesterday.
- LucíaOh, lamento escuchar eso, Javier.Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Javier.
- JavierGracias, ahora tengo que buscar algo nuevo.Thanks, now I have to look for something new.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escuchar, eso, lamento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
