siento que + Subjunctive

Subjunctive with Regret

Level 3

Use siento que + subjunctive for regret or sympathy; do not confuse it with sentir que expressing a perception.

How It Works

Regret or Sympathy
Siento que no puedas venir means “I’m sorry you cannot come.” Sentir means lamentar here, and the que clause takes subjunctive. The regretted situation may be entirely real: subjunctive does not mean it is imaginary.

Perception Has a Different Meaning
Siento que algo va mal means “I feel that something is going wrong.” Indicative va reports an impression; it does not express the regret construction. Read sentir’s meaning before selecting mood.

Subjects and Infinitives
When the same person regrets and performs the action, an infinitive is usually the straightforward option: Siento llegar tarde, or Siento haber llegado tarde for an earlier arrival. A que clause with a shared subject is not universally forbidden, especially when the subject is contrasted: Siento que yo esté aquí y tú no. A subject change alone is not a subjunctive trigger.

Choose the Tense
Present subjunctive can describe a current or future situation: Siento que no puedas venir mañana. Present perfect can describe an earlier event: Siento que no hayas podido venir. A past viewpoint can use imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive: Sentía que no pudieras venir; Sentí que no hubieras podido venir. The tense is not fixed to present merely because the expression begins with sentir.

Examples (5)

  1. Siento que no puedas venir a la fiesta.

    I'm sorry that you can't come to the party.

    Word by Word: I'm sorry that not you can (subjunctive) come to the party.

  2. Mi madre siente que estés enfermo.

    My mother is sorry that you are sick.

    Word by Word: My mother is sorry that you are (subjunctive) sick.

    Sentir in the meaning “be sorry” selects subjunctive estés. Mi madre and tú are different participants, but their difference alone does not cause subjunctive.

  3. Sentimos mucho que ustedes tengan problemas.

    We are very sorry that you all are having problems.

    Word by Word: We are sorry much that you all have (subjunctive) problems.

  4. ¿Sientes que yo no te apoye lo suficiente?

    Are you sorry that I don't support you enough?

    Word by Word: You are sorry that I not you support (subjunctive) enough?

  5. El profesor siente que los estudiantes no entiendan la lección.

    The teacher is sorry that the students don't understand the lesson.

    Word by Word: The teacher is sorry that the students not understand (subjunctive) the lesson.

Common Mistakes

  • Intended meaning: regret, rather than a perception that someone is not coming.

    Siento que no vienes con nosotros.
    Siento que no vengas con nosotros.

    Vengas expresses regret here. Vienes can be grammatical with sentir meaning “have the impression,” but that changes the intended meaning. The distinction concerns sentir’s sense, not whether the people are different.

  • Adding de before the direct-object clause after sentir.

    Siento de que estés tan cansado.
    Siento que estés tan cansado.

    Sentir takes this clause directly with que, without de. Use Siento que estés tan cansado for regret. When regretting one’s own state, an infinitive such as Siento estar tan cansado is also normal; a shared-subject que clause is not inherently wrong.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

siento que + SubjunctiveLevel 3Subjunctive with Regret

Learn This First

To use 'siento que' with the subjunctive, you first need to know how to conjugate verbs in the present subjunctive. You also need to understand the meaning of the verb 'sentir' in the context of emotions and how to use the conjunction 'que' to connect a feeling to the action being regretted.

Words in This Pattern

sentir