Lamentar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
lamentar means "to regret" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows lamentar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of lamentar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with lamentar
Regretting a fact
Lamentar means to regret that something happened: lamento la decisión. It is about a fact you wish were different, and it is more formal than arrepentirse.
- Cada día, yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "Every day, I regret the committee's decision."
- Hoy, él / ella lamenta no haber estudiado más. — "Today, he / she regrets not having studied more."
- Ayer, yo lamenté la pérdida de su trabajo. — "Yesterday, I regretted the loss of his job."
- Antes, yo lamentaba el accidente de ayer. — "Before, I used to regret yesterday's accident."
- Mañana, yo lamentaré la decisión del comité. — "Tomorrow, I will regret the committee's decision."
- Hoy, yo he lamentado no haber estudiado más. — "Today, I have regretted not having studied more."
Lamenting a loss
Lamentar also means to mourn or to grieve for something lost: lamento la pérdida de su trabajo. In this use it is close to mourning, and it appears in formal condolences.
- Cada día, yo lamento la pérdida de su trabajo. — "Every day, I regret the loss of his job."
- Hoy, él / ella lamenta el accidente de ayer. — "Today, he / she regrets yesterday's accident."
- Ayer, yo lamenté la decisión del comité. — "Yesterday, I regretted the committee's decision."
- Antes, yo lamentaba no haber estudiado más. — "Before, I used to regret not having studied more."
- Mañana, yo lamentaré la pérdida de su trabajo. — "Tomorrow, I will regret the loss of his job."
- Hoy, yo he lamentado el accidente de ayer. — "Today, I have regretted yesterday's accident."
Lamentar in conversation
The two dialogues below show lamentar in natural conversation. The first is about regretting a fact, and the second is about lamenting a loss. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú lamentas la decisión del comité? — "Do you regret the committee's decision?"
- Sí, yo lamento la decisión del comité cada día. — "Yes, I regret the committee's decision every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú lamentaste no haber estudiado más? — "And yesterday? Did you regret not having studied more?"
- Sí, ayer yo lamenté no haber estudiado más. — "Yes, yesterday I regretted not having studied more."
- Mañana yo lamentaré la pérdida de su trabajo también. — "Tomorrow I will regret the loss of his job too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros lamentáis la pérdida de su trabajo? — "Do you regret the loss of his job?"
- Sí, nosotros lamentamos la pérdida de su trabajo los fines de semana. — "Yes, we regret the loss of his job at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos lamentan el accidente de ayer? — "And them? Do they regret yesterday's accident?"
- Sí, ellos lamentan el accidente de ayer también. — "Yes, they regret yesterday's accident too."
- Mañana nosotros lamentaremos la pérdida de su trabajo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will regret the loss of his job again."
Common mistakes with lamentar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo lamento la decisión, pero no me importa.
- Right: Yo lamento la decisión.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. Lamentar means you care deeply, so do not add that you do not care.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Lamento que no puedes venir.
- Right: Lamento que no puedas venir.
- Why: After lamento que, Spanish requires the subjunctive. Lamento que no puedes venir is a common subjunctive mistake.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Lamentar es lo mismo que arrepentirse.
- Right: Lamentar means to regret a fact; arrepentirse means to feel remorse.
- Why: Lamentar is about wishing something were different. Arrepentirse is about feeling guilty for something you did. They describe different feelings.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo lamenté la decisión del comité.
- Right: Cada día, yo lamento la decisión del comité.
- Why: Cada día means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo lamento la decisión del comité ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo lamenté la decisión del comité.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: lamentar in use
Ten questions on lamentar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamenta
- (b) lamentamos
- (c) lamento
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (c) lamento. The i form in the present is lamento.
2. What is the he / she form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamentamos
- (b) lamenta
- (c) lamento
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (b) lamenta. The he / she form in the present is lamenta.
3. What is the he / she form of lamentar in the preterite tense?
- (a) lamentó
- (b) lamenté
- (c) lamentaste
- (d) lamentamos
Answer: (a) lamentó. The he / she form in the preterite is lamentó.
4. What is the i form of lamentar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) lamento
- (b) lamenté
- (c) lamentaré
- (d) lamentaba
Answer: (d) lamentaba. The i form in the imperfect is lamentaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of lamentar in the future tense?
- (a) lamentará
- (b) lamentaremos
- (c) lamentaré
- (d) lamentarás
Answer: (c) lamentaré. The i form in the future is lamentaré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) lamenté
- (b) lamentaba
- (c) lamento
- (d) he lamentado
Answer: (d) he lamentado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he lamentado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la decisión del comité.
- (a) lamentaba
- (b) lamente
- (c) lamenta
- (d) lamentó
Answer: (b) lamente. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: lamente. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamento
- (b) lamentas
- (c) lamenta
- (d) lamentamos
Answer: (d) lamentamos. The we form in the present is lamentamos.
9. What is the i form of lamentar in the preterite tense?
- (a) lamentó
- (b) lamentamos
- (c) lamenté
- (d) lamentaste
Answer: (c) lamenté. The i form in the preterite is lamenté.
10. What is the they form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamenta
- (b) lamentan
- (c) lamento
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (b) lamentan. The they form in the present is lamentan.
Frequently asked questions about lamentar
Is lamentar formal?
Yes, it is more formal than arrepentirse. In everyday conversation, Spanish speakers often say me arrepiento or qué pena. Lamentar appears in formal speech and writing.
Does lamentar trigger the subjunctive?
Yes, after que: lamento que no puedas venir. The regret is about something that is not a fact you are stating, so Spanish uses the subjunctive.
What is the difference between lamentar and arrepentirse?
Lamentar regrets a fact. Arrepentirse feels remorse for an action. You lamentar a decision; you arrepentirse de haberla tomado.
How can I practise lamentar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.