Lamentar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
lamentar means "to regret" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for lamentar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "Every day, I regret the committee's decision." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of lamentar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | lamento |
| Tú | lamentas |
| Él / Ella | lamenta |
| Nosotros | lamentamos |
| Vosotros | lamentáis |
| Ellos | lamentan |
The gerund of lamentar is lamentando and the past participle is lamentado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy lamentando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he lamentado).
How the present tense of lamentar is formed
The present tense of lamentar is built from the stem lament- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo lamento, tú lamentas, él lamenta, nosotros lamentamos, vosotros lamentáis and ellos lamentan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is lamentando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy lamentando. The past participle is lamentado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he lamentado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with lamentar
1. Regretting a decision
Lamento la decisión del comité is the formal, public use of this verb. It means you wish the decision had been different, and it is the language of official statements and complaints. For example: Yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "I regret the committee's decision."
2. Regretting a missed chance
Lamento no haber estudiado más is the personal use: it means you regret a choice you made in the past. It is a common sentence in reflections about school and work. For example: Tú lamentas no haber estudiado más. — "You regret not having studied more."
3. Lamenting a loss
Lamento la pérdida de su trabajo shows the verb with a sad event. It means you are sorry about what happened, and it is the standard phrase in condolences. For example: Él / Ella lamenta la pérdida de su trabajo. — "He / She regrets the loss of his job."
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo lamentaré el accidente de ayer. — "Tomorrow, I will regret yesterday's accident." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella lamenta la decisión del comité. — "Normally, he / she regrets the committee's decision."
Present vs preterite: lamentar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with lamentar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "Every day, I regret the committee's decision."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo lamenté la decisión del comité. — "Yesterday, I regretted the committee's decision."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo lamento no haber estudiado más. — "Every day, I regret not having studied more."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo lamenté no haber estudiado más. — "Yesterday, I regretted not having studied more."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo lamento la pérdida de su trabajo. — "Every day, I regret the loss of his job."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo lamenté la pérdida de su trabajo. — "Yesterday, I regretted the loss of his job."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: lamentar in the present tense
These six sentences show lamentar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "I regret the committee's decision."
- Tú lamentas no haber estudiado más. — "You regret not having studied more."
- Él / Ella lamenta la pérdida de su trabajo. — "He / She regrets the loss of his job."
- Nosotros lamentamos el accidente de ayer. — "We regret yesterday's accident."
- Vosotros lamentáis la decisión del comité. — "You regret the committee's decision."
- Ellos lamentan no haber estudiado más. — "They regret not having studied more."
Common mistakes with lamentar in the present tense
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: Ayer, yo lamento la decisión del comité.
- Right: Ayer, yo lamenté la decisión del comité.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo lamentais la decisión del comité.
- Right: Yo lamentáis la decisión del comité.
- Why: The form is lamentáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of lamentar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of lamentar. 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) lamento
- (b) lamentas
- (c) lamenta
- (d) lamentamos
Answer: (a) lamento. The i form is lamento. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamento
- (b) lamenta
- (c) lamentamos
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (d) lamentas. The you form is lamentas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamentas
- (b) lamentamos
- (c) lamenta
- (d) lamento
Answer: (c) lamenta. The he / she form is lamenta. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamenta
- (b) lamentamos
- (c) lamento
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (b) lamentamos. The we form is lamentamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of lamentar in the present tense?
- (a) lamentan
- (b) lamento
- (c) lamentas
- (d) lamenta
Answer: (a) lamentan. The they form is lamentan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la decisión del comité.
- (a) lamenta
- (b) lamentamos
- (c) lamento
- (d) lamentas
Answer: (c) lamento. The sentence needs the yo form lamento (Every day, I regret the committee's decision.)
7. What is the gerund of lamentar?
- (a) lamentado
- (b) lamentar
- (c) lamenta
- (d) lamentando
Answer: (d) lamentando. The gerund is lamentando, used for the progressive: estoy lamentando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo lamento no haber estudiado más.
- (b) Antes, yo lamentaba no haber estudiado más.
- (c) Ayer, yo lamenté no haber estudiado más.
- (d) Mañana, yo lamentaré no haber estudiado más.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo lamento no haber estudiado más.. Cada día, yo lamento no haber estudiado más. (Every day, I regret not having studied more.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo lamenté no haber estudiado más. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo lamentaré no haber estudiado más. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of 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.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with lamentar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo lamento la decisión del comité. — "Every day, I regret the committee's decision." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo lamenté la decisión del comité. — "Yesterday, I regretted the committee's decision." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.