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"Pena" is a form of "pena", a noun which is often translated as "pity". "Peña" is a form of "peña", a noun which is often translated as "rock". Learn more about the difference between "pena" and "peña" below.
la pena(
peh
-
nah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (sympathy)
c. sad (adjective)
Sentí mucha pena cuando se murió mi actor preferido.I felt really sad when my favorite actor died.
Me da mucha pena verlos partir.It makes me so sad to see them leave.
2. (sadness)
a. sorrow
Comparto la pena de los afectados por el terrorismo.I share the sorrow of those affected by terrorism.
4. (legal)
6. (humiliation) (Caribbean) (Central America) (Colombia) (Mexico)
Regionalism used in the Caribbean: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
Regionalism used in Colombia
Regionalism used in Mexico
la peña(
peh
-
nyah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (geology)
a. rock
Hubo varias peñas cubiertas de musgo al pie de la montaña.There were several moss-covered rocks at the foot of the mountain.
2. (geography)
a. cliff
Cuando estaba en Querétaro fui a la Peña de Bernal, una de las peñas más altas del mundo.When I was in Queretaro, I visited the Peña de Bernal, one of the tallest cliffs in the world.
b. crag
¿No crees que sea peligroso hacer fotos desde aquella peña?Don't you think it might be dangerous to take photographs from that crag?
3. (coterie)
4. (colloquial) (throng of people) (Spain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Spain
a. folk club
Vamos a la peña a escuchar un homenaje a Víctor Jara.We're going to the folk club to listen to a tribute to Victor Jara.
