What does que me da pena mean?

Question

Hi, I need some help with this, when I translate "que me da pena", it tells me that it means "I'm sorry", but this sounds more like "it hurts me". This is the whole sentence that my friend wrote to me, "eso tu sabes mi amor que me da pena", can someone help me with this?

I feel sorry for.... - spansee, Mar 21, 2011

Answer 1

[dar pena][1]

[1]: http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/es-en/dar pena.php

Sorry, those .php definitions rarely post correctly.

dar pe·na Verb

• feel bad about, feel bad for; Synonyms: dar pesar, lamentar, sentirse mal acerca de

  Nos dio pena su muerte, We felt bad about his death.

• be sorry to; Synonyms: lamentar, sentir, sentir mucho, sentir pesar por, dar lástima, dar pesar, estar apenado de, sentirse apenado de; Sentir pena, contrariedad, arrepentimiento, etc. por alguna acción.

  Me da pena irme tan pronto, I am sorry to leave so soon.

• be ashamed; Synonyms: dar vergüenza, estar avergonzado, estar muy avergonzado, sentirse avergonzado, tener vergüenza

  Nos dio pena, We were ashamed.

• be ashamed about

  Me da pena su desfachatez, I am ashamed about his audacity.

• aggrieve; Synonyms: afligir, acongojar, apenar; Causar pena, tristeza o angustia moral.

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....tú sabes...

Answer 2

I do not know if your friend is Mexican, but in Mexico "me da pena" carries the meaning of "it embarrasses me". "Qué pena" is more "How embarrassing" than "What a shame".

"that you know my love that it embarrasses me".

Answer 3

I don't think that this structure (me da pena) is all that different than the way it is often used in English. On a basic level, the expression is simply used to describe the feeling of pain, anguish, sorrow, or other discomfort that accompanies something.

For example compare the two structures:

?It give me great pain to know that....
?It pains me deeply to know that...
?Me da mucha pena saber que...

If you consider that the word "sorry" might also be rearranged in English to a similar structure it should not be difficult to see how this [removed]in certain contexts) might be taken to mean "I'm sorry that...":

?It gives me sorrow to know that I hurt you.
?It sorrows me to know that I hurt you.
?I am sorry that I hurt you.

It saddens me . . . - Sabor, Mar 20, 2011

OK, how did you make the bulleted arrow heads? - 0074b507, Mar 20, 2011

@Qfreed: Alt + 16 = ► - Izanoni1, Mar 20, 2011

...and if you place three spaces after each line, it will allow you to single space. - Izanoni1, Mar 20, 2011

Answer 4

It pains me or it hurts me. Used often when speaking of regret. Your friend said, "you know that, my love, that it pains me,".

Answer 5

In this case mind ashamed.

In Colombia people use "pena" to said asharmed: "quedo debiendo $10, uh, que pena".