Spanish Conversation · Level 142
45 words
Spanish word
apenar
Pronunciation
IPA/apeˈnaɾ/
Meaning
- verbmake sad
Example
Me apenó ver su reacción.
Seeing his reaction made me sad.
More examples
Me apena que no puedas venir.
It saddens me that you can't come.
Core concept
A heavy, sinking heart.
Common phrases
Me apena
It saddens me
apenar a alguien
make someone sad
Similar words
entristecer: Cause a straightforward feeling of sadness.
afligir: Cause deep grief or intense emotional pain.
deprimir: Make someone feel down and lose energy or motivation.
apenarse: Become sad; enter a state of sorrow or regret.
Definition in Spanish
Causar tristeza o pesar en alguien.
Word origin
From the noun pena (from Latin poena 'punishment, sorrow') plus the verbal suffix -ar, originally 'to cause pena' and now 'to cause sadness'.
Usage tips
- Usually appears with an indirect object pronoun as in 'me apena...', often followed by que + subjunctive to express pity or regret, and it is not always interchangeable with English 'embarrass'.