entristecer
“entristecer” means “to sadden” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to sadden, to make sad
Also: to grieve
📝 In Action
Me entristece ver a los animales abandonados en la calle.
B1It saddens me to see abandoned animals on the street.
La noticia sobre la guerra entristeció a todo el país.
B1The news about the war saddened the entire country.
No quería entristecer tu fiesta con mis historias aburridas.
B2I didn't want to make your party sad with my boring stories.
to become sad, to get sad
📝 In Action
Ella se entristeció mucho cuando su mejor amiga se mudó.
B1She became very sad when her best friend moved away.
No te entristezcas, todo va a salir bien.
B2Don't get sad, everything is going to be okay.
Mi abuelo se entristece cada vez que recuerda su pueblo.
B1My grandfather gets sad every time he remembers his town.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: entristecer
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'I sadden' in the present tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Formed in Spanish using the prefix 'en-' (to put into) + 'triste' (from the Latin 'tristis' meaning sad) + the suffix '-ecer' (to become or start to be).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'entristecer' used more than 'ponerse triste'?
No, 'ponerse triste' is much more common in everyday speech. 'Entristecer' is slightly more elegant and common in books, songs, and formal situations.
What's the difference between 'entristecer' and 'entristecerse'?
'Entristecer' is to make someone ELSE sad (e.g., The news saddened him). 'Entristecerse' is to become sad yourself.
Does it follow the same pattern as 'ofrecer'?
Yes! All verbs ending in -ecer follow that same 'zc' pattern in the 'yo' form of the present tense.