Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| que lástima | /ke lastima/ (from spelling rules) | |
| qué mal | /ke mal/ (from spelling rules) | |
| ni modo | /ˌni ˈmodo/ | Mexico, familiar |
While que lástima expresses a genuine sense of pity or regret, ni modo is used when someone is resigned to an unchangeable situation, similar to saying "oh well" or "it is what it is". In a more colloquial sense, particularly in Mexico and Central America, you might hear ¡Qué mala onda! to mean "That's not cool" or "What a downer!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase que lástima literally translates to "what a pity".
Which one should you use?
Que lástima is used to express genuine sympathy or regret. In contrast, ni modo expresses resignation to a situation that cannot be changed.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more informal way to say "too bad", you can use Qué pena. If you want to express a profound sense of disappointment or sadness in a formal context, you can use Resulta lamentable. Ni modo is an informal expression of resignation, and ¡Qué mala onda! is a colloquialism.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Ni modo is a common colloquialism used in Mexico to mean "too bad" in the sense of "it is what it is", and ¡Qué mala onda! is also used in Mexico and parts of Central America.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase qué mal uses the exclamatory qué to mean "how bad" or "that's too bad".
Did you know?
- While qué pena means 'too bad' in many regions, in some contexts it can also mean 'how embarrassing'.
- Even though que lástima is used for pity, the word lástima is related to the verb lastimar, which means 'to hurt' or 'to injure'.
- Although qué mal is a common way to say 'too bad', using it too frequently in a serious conversation can sound like a child's reaction rather than adult sympathy.
Examples in context
- Qué malo.That's too bad.This sentence shows how to use qué mal to express that something is too bad.Tatoeba #6199183 by baudelaire, translation #433625 by CK
- ¡Qué lástima que no pudiste venir a la reunión! Habríamos disfrutado de tu compañía.Too bad you couldn't come to the meeting! We would have enjoyed your company.
- Es una pena que el proyecto haya sido cancelado. Estábamos esperando con ansias su realización.It's a shame that the project got canceled. We were looking forward to its completion.
- Resulta lamentable que no se hayan tomado en cuenta las opiniones de la comunidad.It's regrettable that the community's opinions weren't taken into account.
- Qué pena que no pudiste venir a la fiesta de ayer, te perdiste una noche increíble.Too bad you couldn't come to the party last night, you missed an amazing time.
- Es una lástima que el concierto se haya cancelado, todos estábamos emocionados por asistir.It's a shame the concert got canceled, we were all excited to attend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “too bad” translations and entries ni modo, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
