arrepentirse
regret
Sentir tristeza o disgusto por algo que se ha hecho o dicho, y desear no haberlo hecho.
Definition & meaning
Arrepentirse means “to regret,” “to repent,” or “to feel remorse.” It describes feeling sorry about something one has done, said, or decided, often with the wish that it had been different.
It is a reflexive verb, so it is used with a reflexive pronoun:
- me arrepiento — I regret / I repent
- te arrepientes — you regret
- se arrepiente — he, she, or you formal regret
- nos arrepentimos — we regret
It is commonly followed by de plus a noun or infinitive:
- Me arrepiento de mis palabras. — I regret my words.
- Se arrepintió de mentir. — He/she regretted lying.
It can also have a religious or moral meaning: to repent of one’s sins and seek forgiveness.
Grammar & Word origin
Arrepentirse is a pronominal and irregular verb ending in -irse. Its stem changes from e to ie in the present tense:
- arrepentirse → me arrepiento
- arrepentirse → te arrepientes
- arrepentirse → se arrepienten
The change does not occur in every tense. For example:
- me arrepentí — I regretted
- me arrepentía — I used to regret / I was regretting
- me arrepentiré — I will regret
- me he arrepentido — I have regretted
The word comes from Latin paenitere, meaning “to cause regret” or “to repent,” with the prefix a- and later Spanish development.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- lamentar — to regret or lament something; it is less specifically connected with personal moral remorse and is not normally reflexive.
- sentir remordimiento — to feel remorse; this emphasizes guilty feelings.
- retractarse — to retract or take back a statement or position; it describes an action rather than the feeling of regret itself.
- pedir perdón — to apologize or ask for forgiveness; this may result from arrepentirse, but it is not synonymous with it.
Antonyms
There is no single exact opposite in every context. Possible opposites include:
- no arrepentirse — not to regret something.
- mantenerse firme — to stand by one’s decision or position.
- persistir — to continue with an action or attitude despite possible criticism or regret.
Common phrases & collocations
- arrepentirse de algo — to regret something
- arrepentirse de hacer algo — to regret doing something
- arrepentirse de una decisión — to regret a decision
- arrepentirse de sus palabras — to regret one’s words
- arrepentirse profundamente — to deeply regret
- más vale arrepentirse que lamentarse — “it is better to repent than to complain or lament”
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Examples
A veces uno puede arrepentirse de no intentar algo nuevo.verb
Sometimes one can regret not trying something new.
¿Te arrepentiste ayer de tus palabras?verb
Did you regret your words yesterday?
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