arrepentirse
verbCEFR B1
What does “arrepentirse” mean in English?
1.to regret
to regret (an action or decision), to wish one had done otherwise (arrepentirse de + noun/infinitive)
2.to repent, to feel remorse for a moral wrongdoing
to repent, to feel remorse for a moral wrongdoing (religious or ethical context)
Example sentences
Me arrepentí mucho de no haber contratado el seguro de viaje cuando me dijeron que la operación en el hospital local costaría más de dos mil euros.
I deeply regretted not having taken out travel insurance when they told me the operation at the local hospital would cost more than two thousand euros.
Nos arrepentimos de que el guía no nos hubiera avisado de que la excursión incluía una caminata de seis horas sin agua en el trayecto.
We regretted that the guide had not warned us that the excursion included a six-hour hike with no water along the route.
How to use it
Arrepentirse de means 'to regret' or 'to repent of', and is always reflexive. Before an infinitive (same subject), it takes de + infinitive: 'me arrepiento de no haberlo hecho'. Before a subordinate clause with a different subject, it takes de que + subjunctive (imperfect subjunctive when the arrepentirse verb is past): 'Me arrepentí de que no hubieras venido'. The subjunctive is required after de que because arrepentirse belongs to the emotion-verb class of subjunctive triggers — the embedded clause reports something that is experienced emotionally, not merely asserted as fact.
Common mistake
After 'me arrepiento de que', learners use indicative: '*me arrepiento de que no fuiste' — this is wrong. The indicative mood is blocked here because arrepentirse is an emotion verb triggering subjunctive: say 'me arrepiento de que no fueras'.