I’m attending a wake this evening where many of the family will be primarily Spanish speakers (mostly Guatemalans, I know the dialect is a little idiosyncratic).
My Spanish is pretty limited. What’s a simple and appropriate way to say something along the lines of “I’m sorry for your loss”?
Thanks in advance!
Siento tu pérdida ahora se mueven en
Maybe bring some red, yellow and white flowers.
I don’t claim to be fluent in Spanish, but that doesn’t look like a natural Spanish sentence to me. What is your source (if you’re not a native speaker or otherwise fluent in the language)?
“Lo siento por tu perdida” is “I’m sorry for your loss.”
It’s prononuced Low see-En-toe pour two pair-DEE-da
The only thing I’m not sure about is if you should be using “tu” which is the familiar “you”. I think now it is almost always used rather than the formal (Some countries use vos, Guatemala apparently does some, but I’m sure they’d know tu as well.) That is also the singular form for speaking to one person “Vosotros” is the plural familiar you, but I think most of South America uses Ustedes.
Keeping in mind my Spanish is Colombian paisa dialect (which is considered a rather neutral dialect, rather similar to castellano)
I would suggest avoiding the tú/usted issue entirely by choosing simple phrases using the possessive pronoun su (your) or mi(my).
Appropriate short phrases:
Lamento mucho su perdida. (I lament your loss.) La-MINT-oh MOO-choh sue purr-DEE-dah
Mi más sentido pésame. (My deepest condolences.) Me MAHS sin-TEE-doh PAY-sah-may
You didn’t really avoid the tú/usted issue since you used “su” (which can go with “usted” or “ustedes”). It would not be clear from that phrase whether you were saying “I lament your [family’s] loss” or “I lament your [personal] loss”, with the latter being the formal phrasing (as opposed to “Lamento much tu perdida”, the informal phrasing).
But I think you’re right about that phrasing. As a gringo, it’s best to err on the formal side.
“Chinga tu Madre” would be completely inappropriate.
Lo siento. (I’m sorry.)
Mis condolencias. (My condolences.)
Lo acompaño en sus sentimientos. (I share your (sorrowful) sentiments.)
Thanks all. I stuck with “lo siento.” Luckily a bilingual person (grandson) was nearby for some translations. It was more a matter of showing up, of course, than anything I might eloquently say in any language.
My go-to phrase is “mi más sentido pésame” (heartfelt condolences).
Glad you found an interpreter. That’s a bad time for mistakes.
Indeed. Well caught.
I guess I’ve pronounced that wrong for years. No one ever corrected me. But then I am a gringo.