Lástima

Lástima
 

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for February 7, 2009

lástima - feminine noun (la) - pity, shame, compassion. Look up lástima in the dictionary

Es una lástima que no puedas ir con nosotros.
It's a shame you can't come with us.

Have I heard this term used as an exclamation as well? As in something like this: "¡Qué lástima!" Is that right?

Yes "¡Qué lástima!" is very common - probably more used than the <es una lástima que no puedas ir con nosotros> cited in the first posting, while that is of course, perfectly correct (although "Go with us might be more accurate!").

Also:-

¡Qué lástima! = What a pity (also pitiable shame - said of hardship etc).
¡Qué vergüenza! = What an awful thing (disgraceful shame - said of foul acts etc).
¡Qué lata! = What a niusance!
¡Qué horror! = How awful, dreadful!

Thanks, Sancho - those phrases are very helpful! :)

what would be the Spanish meaning for shameful (ignominous means shameful too)?

vergonzoso

oh thank you :P

Shame = Verguenza

Shameful= Vergonzoso

Ignominious - ignominioso (same meaning)

thanks!

Then if I can say Que lastima por tu carro, I have to say ( What a pity for you car)

I'm right.

It seems as though "shame" is one of those words that means something rather different in those two situations. As given, "lástima" is more like "too bad". But the words you've given here that are similar to "verguenza" are more like "dishonor". ¿Es correcto?

Crotalito - you could easily say "What a pity about your car!" if someone was in an accident and their car was badly damaged. Or if there was a major mechanical problem with the car. It's like saying "It's too bad about your car."

The noun vergüenza means embarrassment, disgrace or (sense of) shame. Tie this word to the verb avergonzar (to embarrass, to shame).

The noun lástima means shame or pity. Its synonym is pena (sorrow). Tie this word to the verb lastimar (to hurt).

Super, Rusty!! Thanks so much! :)

I don't agree with you laepelda, because the sentence, you have wrote before does not make sence for me What a pity about your car!, I would can feel sorrow for the person who had the accident, but still the word About in the phrase for me does not sound accurate or at least well said, I think that my is better.

The only language I've ever spoken is English. Really. I totally defer to you on the Spanish stuff. But I have to say that in English, at least in the US, it would sound strange to say "What a pity for your car." To use the word "about" is more like saying "What a pity about what happened to your car." But you could shorten the sentence to say "What a pity about your car."

If you said "What a pity for your car", people here would understand you - but they would know that English is not your first language.....

Yes, it's logical, I don't pretend have the English as first language, because it would be impossible, I'm Mexican, I was born here, and I always spoken Spanish, I know that might, you way to say the phrase is the more accurate of your region, but beyond of me, there Mexican people who intent change the word, but it's a wrong, look, the phrase it good as you have wrote, but sincerely for me the phrase isn't complete, if you come to my country and you say the phrase Whay a pity about your car, the people only will say, What?, then you need more concrete in your sentence, for example What a pity for your car, because you are lamenting the passed to his car, I know and I accept your answer, and I hope you achieve understand me.

Oh - I absolutely understand you. This is one of those situations where the language differences don't translate exactly. :)

Crotalito:

What I do in class is to show this:

ing= ando o endo, if not, is an infinitive (which in most cases is constructed as To + present form of a verb) = ar,er,ir, or present tense.

In your phrase up there in the quote you handle well the do, don't but then the ending ing is not correct up there.

If you use the info I just gave you, could you fix what's in red in the quote?

:-)

Thank you.

Peruvians often use íque pena! intead of íQue lástima!