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arrepentirse

ah-rreh-pen-TEER-seharepenˈtiɾse

“arrepentirse” means “to regret” in Spanish (feeling sorry for an action or decision).

to regret, to repent

Also: to change one's mind
VerbB1pronominal and stem-changing ir
General
A person looking sadly at a broken ceramic vase on the floor, expressing regret for their action.
gerundarrepintiéndose
past Participlearrepentido
infinitivearrepentirse

📝 In Action

Me arrepiento de no haber estudiado más.

B1

I regret not having studied more.

Si no vas a la fiesta, te arrepentirás.

B1

If you don't go to the party, you will regret it.

Él se arrepintió de sus palabras en cuanto las dijo.

B2

He regretted his words as soon as he said them.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • lamentar (to lament/regret)
  • retractarse (to take back (one's word))

Antonyms

  • reafirmarse (to stand by (one's decision))
  • persistir (to persist)

Common Collocations

  • arrepentirse amargamente – to regret bitterly
  • arrepentirse de corazón – to regret from the bottom of one's heart
  • no arrepentirse de nada – to have no regrets

Idioms & Expressions

  • más vale prevenir que arrepentirse – better safe than sorry

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yome arrepintiera
túte arrepintieras
él/ella/ustedse arrepintiera
nosotrosnos arrepintiéramos
vosotrosos arrepintierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesse arrepintieran

Present Subjunctive

yome arrepienta
túte arrepientas
él/ella/ustedse arrepienta
nosotrosnos arrepintamos
vosotrosos arrepintáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse arrepientan

Indicative

Preterite

yome arrepentí
túte arrepentiste
él/ella/ustedse arrepintió
nosotrosnos arrepentimos
vosotrosos arrepentisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse arrepintieron

Imperfect

yome arrepentía
túte arrepentías
él/ella/ustedse arrepentía
nosotrosnos arrepentíamos
vosotrosos arrepentíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesse arrepentían

Present

yome arrepiento
túte arrepientes
él/ella/ustedse arrepiente
nosotrosnos arrepentimos
vosotrosos arrepentís
ellos/ellas/ustedesse arrepienten
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "arrepentirse" in Spanish:

to regret→to repent→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: arrepentirse

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I regret the mistake'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
decirsereírse
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin prefix 're-' (expressing intensive force) and 'poenitere' (to cause regret/repentance).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: se repentirItalian: pentirsi

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'lamentar' and 'arrepentirse'?

'Lamentar' is like saying 'I am sorry that...' and doesn't require reflexive pronouns. 'Arrepentirse' is more personal, meaning YOU feel remorse for YOUR own actions, and it always needs 'me, te, se...'

Can I use 'arrepentirse' for small mistakes?

Yes, it can be used for anything from forgetting to buy milk to life-changing decisions.

Why does the 'e' change to 'ie' sometimes?

It is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the middle 'e' changes to 'ie' in all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.