Why Does "lo Siento" Mean "I'm Sorry" If It... - How To Spanish

LaDragonaria / A native English speaker who is dedicated to helping people learn Spanish language, grammar, and culture. Send in your asks and I will help you understand Spanish: beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Welcome to a blog of Spanish language shenanigans, where I'll teach you How to Spanish! [Started in May 2013] Home Ask Submit Archive Anonymous:Why does "lo siento" mean "I'm sorry" if it literally seems to translate to "I feel it"?

The verb sentir means “to feel” and so lo siento is used in the sense of empathy; “I (too) feel it”.

The lo is a stand-in for whatever it is that was being talked about. That’s just “I’m sorry” with no noun stated.

You can have an actual noun but the lo is removed in that case:

Lo siento. = I’m sorry.Lo sentimos = We’re sorry.Siento mucho tu pérdida. = I’m very sorry for your loss. [lit. “I feel your loss a lot”]

It’s an expression of “your feelings affect me too” sort of like commiserating.

Posted on Apr 10, 2015 with 38 notes #asks #Spanish #language #languages

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