vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Penas" is a form of "penar", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to punish". "Lagrimas" is a form of "lagrimar", an intransitive verb which is often translated as "to cry". Learn more about the difference between "penas" and "lagrimas" below.
penar(
peh
-
nahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. to suffer
Penaba por el futuro de su hija como bailarina cuando ella se quebró la pierna.He suffered over his daughter's future as a ballerina when she broke her leg.
a. to pine
Mi mamá penaba por mí cuando me enviaron a la guerra.My mother pined for me when I was sent to war.
a. to be in torment
Después de la medianoche, se pueden ver a los fantasmas que penan por el manicomio.After midnight, you can see the ghosts who are in torment around the asylum.
penarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to grieve
Toda la facultad y los estudiantes se penaron por el profesor que los había conmovido tanto a todos.All of the faculty and students grieved for the professor who had touched them all deeply.
b. to mourn
Mis hermanos y yo nos penamos la pérdida de nuestro padre en el funeral.My siblings and I mourned the loss of our father at the funeral.
lagrimar(
lah
-
gree
-
mahr
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
