que lástima
/ke lastima/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase "too bad" can be translated in several ways depending on the context. The most common way to express this is que lástima. Wiktionary also lists qué mal and ni modo.
Meaning: that's a pity (phrase)
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 |
You might use them to show sympathy, express regret or show resignation when something cannot be changed.
Which one should you use?
que lástima expresses genuine sympathy or regret. In contrast, ni modo is used to express resignation to an unchangeable situation, similar to saying "oh well" or "it is what it is".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Qué lástima is an informal way to express too bad. ni modo is an informal expression used in casual conversation. For more formal contexts, you should use Lamentablemente, which means "unfortunately".
Is it said differently in some regions?
ni modo is a common colloquialism used in Mexico to mean "oh well" or "nothing to be done".
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?
- In some contexts, qué mal can be used as a sarcastic response to someone bragging, effectively meaning 'how terrible for you' in a mocking tone.
- While ni modo is widely used in Mexico, speakers in other Spanish-speaking countries may find it uniquely Mexican and use different phrases for resignation.
- The word lástima comes from the verb lastimar, which means 'to hurt' or 'to injure'.
Examples in context
- Qué malo.That's too bad.This sentence is useful for using qué mal.Tatoeba #6199183 by baudelaire, translation #433625 by CK
- El concierto fue cancelado debido al clima. Es una lástima, estaba muy emocionado por asistir.The concert was canceled due to the weather. It's a shame, I was really excited to attend.
- Perdí mi autobús para ir al cine. ¡Qué lástima! Ahora tendré que esperar una hora para el siguiente.I missed my bus to the movies. Too bad! Now I'll have to wait an hour for the next one.
- ¡Qué pena que no pudiste venir a la fiesta! ¡Nos divertimos mucho!Too bad you couldn't come to the party! We had so much fun!
- Quería ir a la playa hoy, pero está lloviendo. No pudo ser.I wanted to go to the beach today, but it's raining. Too bad.
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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lástima, mal, modo, ni, que, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
