Even though most of the time you might use your Spanish when traveling, talking to your friends or simply practicing for your class, there are some sad and unfortunate situations where you might need to express condolences in Spanish.
So, how to offer condolences in Spanish? These are some of the most common expressions that native speakers use to express their condolences in Spanish:
- Mi más sentido pésame
- Lo siento mucho
- Te acompaño en el sentimiento
- Lamento tu pérdida
- Mis más sinceras condolencias
Knowing what to say in such difficult situations is always challenging, especially if you have to do it in another language. For that reason, in this article, I’ll provide the 5 most common ways to say and express your condolences in Spanish.
Additionally, I’ll make sure to provide short descriptions, examples and phrases structures so you don’t only know when to apply these expressions, but also how to customize them for different situations. At the end of this list, you’ll find a complete vocabulary list with different words that you may be able to add to your condolences.
By the end of this article, you’ll know many ways to offer your condolences in Spanish.
1. Mi más sentido pésame – My deepest condolences
Mi más sentido pésame is one of the most common ways to give your condolences in Spanish. This expression can be used among friends and family, but also with people with whom you may not have a very close relationship (for example, your boss, an acquaintance, etc).
‘Mi más sentido pésame’ is the direct translation of the English expression ‘my deepest condolences’. Below I show how to use the expression with examples. Notice that, after the expression, you can add any words that you want to tell the person that is grieving.
[Possessive adjective] + más sentido pésame
Mi más sentido pésame por tu pérdida. Un abrazo.
My condolences for your loss. All my love.
Señora, nuestro más sentido pésame. Estamos para lo que necesite.
Mrs, our deepest condolences. We’re here to help you.
Mis papás no pudieron venir, pero le mandan su más sentido pésame.
My parents couldn’t make it, but they give you their deepest condolences.
2. Lo siento mucho – I’m very sorry
If you want to express your condolences to a friend, family member or someone that you’re somehow close to, you can use the expression lo siento mucho. In other words, ‘lo siento mucho’ is a more familiar and casual way to give condolences in Spanish.
Lo siento mucho is the direct translation of I’m very sorry, so as you can imagine, this expression is usually accompanied by extra words that help you express your feelings. Here are some examples that can give you a better idea of how to use this expression:
Lo + [‘sentir’ conjugated] + [complement]
Tommy, acabo de escuchar lo que pasó, lo siento mucho, amigo.
Tommy, I just heard what happened, I’m very sorry, man.
Lo sentimos mucho, Philip. Cualquier cosa que necesites.
We’re very sorry, Philip. Anything you need.
As a variation, you can also use the expression Sentir mucho to express condolences. This short version of ‘lo siento mucho’ allows you to mention the thing or situation that you’re sorry for. Here is how you’d use this structure:
[‘Sentir’ conjugated] + (mucho) + [complement]
Chicas, siento mucho lo de su papá.
Girls, I’m very sorry about your dad.
Manuel, sentimos mucho tu pérdida. Cuenta con nosotros.
Manuel, we’re very sorry for your loss. You can count on us.
Take Note: Keep in mind that, just like I’m sorry, ‘lo siento’ can also be used in other contexts as a way to apologize in Spanish.
3. Te acompaño en el sentimiento – My sympathies for your loss
In Spanish, te acompaño en el sentimiento is another popular phrase that we use to give people our condolences. This expression implies that, even though we may not fully understand what someone’s going through, our feelings and thoughts are with them. In other words, it implies that, somehow, we share the same feeling as the person in grief.
‘Te acompaño en el sentimiento’ can be used with and it’s close in meaning to:
- My sympathies for your loss
- My thoughts are with you
- I’m sorry for your loss
- My deepest sympathies
In order to customize this expression, you can follow this phrase structure as guidance. Notice that the direct object pronoun changes depending on the person that you’re giving your condolences to.
[Direct object pronoun] + [‘acompañar’ conjugated] + [complement]
Mi esposa y yo los acompañamos en el sentimiento.
My wife and I are very sorry for your loss.
Te acompañamos en el sentimiento, Andrea. Lo que necesites, aquí estamos.
Our deepest sympathies, Andrea. We’re here for you.
Jon, escuché lo de tu papá. Te acompaño en el sentimiento, amigo.
Jon, I heard about your dad. My thoughts are with you, buddy.
4. Lamento tu pérdida – I’m sorry for your loss
Another common way to offer your condolences in Spanish is by using the expression lamento tu pérdida which can be translated as ‘I am sorry for your loss’. This expression is a slightly more formal variation of ‘lo siento mucho’. But it can still be used with friends and family as well as more formal situations.
Here is a phrase structure that will show you how you can customize ‘lamento tu pérdida’ for different situations. Notice that you can use Spanish possessive adjectives or if you want to be more specific about your condolences, you can use definite articles.
Check the examples below so you have a better understanding of how to use this phrase.
[‘Lamentar’ conjugated] + [determiner] + pérdida + [complement]
Lamento tu pérdida, Verónica. Estoy para lo que necesites.
I’m sorry for your loss, Veronica. I’m here for you.
Klaus, lamentamos la pérdida de tu papá.
Klauss, we’re sorry for the loss of your dad.
Lamentamos la pérdida del Profesor López.
We’re sorry for the loss of Professor López.
5. Mis más sinceras condolencias – My deepest condolences
In Spanish, mis más sinceras condolencias is the most formal way to give people your condolences. Despite its formality, you can also use this expression with your friends due to the nature of the situation. ‘Mis más sinceras condolencias’ is the Spanish equivalent of ‘my deepest condolences’.
Here are some examples of how to use this expression in Spanish. Notice that, in order to use it properly, you may need to customize a few elements.
[Possessive adjective] + más + sinceras condolencias + [complement]
Nuestras más sinceras condolencias por la pérdida de su esposo.
Our deepest condolences for the loss of your husband.
Amigo, mis más sinceras condolencias. Te mando un fuerte abrazo.
Buddy, my deepest condolences. I send you a big hug.
Dale mis más sinceras condolencias a tu mamá, por favor.
Please, give my deepest condolences to your mom.
Vocabulary for Condolences in Spanish
Here is a list of extra vocabulary and expressions that are related to offering condolences in Spanish. Notice that some of these elements can be added to the previous expressions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Darle el pésame a alguien | Express your condolences to someone |
| Duelo | Grief / Mourning |
| Funeral | Funeral |
| Un fuerte abrazo | Big hug |
| Estamos para lo que necesites | We’re here for you |
| Cuenta conmigo | You can count on me |
| Pronta resignación | I can only hope that time will heal your loss. |
| ¡Ánimo! | Be strong! |
| ¡Fuerza! | Be strong! |
| Lo/La vamos a extrañar | We’ll miss him/her |
| Que descanse en paz | Rest in peace |
Vero, te acompaño en el sentimiento. Vamos a extrañar mucho a tu hermana.
Vero, my thoughts are with you. We’ll miss your sister very much.
¡Lo siento mucho, amiga! Pronta resignación.
I’m very sorry! I can only hope that time will heal your loss.
Wrapping Up
As a Spanish learner, your goal may be to be able to successfully communicate in different contexts. Since you may not see this topic at school, in this article, we’ve learned the most common expressions to offer your condolences in Spanish.
In addition to learning the best contexts to apply each one of these phrases, you’ve also learned some extra vocabulary that you can add to your condolences. Hopefully, now you have a better idea of how to offer condolences in Spanish. ¡Buena suerte!