What a pity
A very common alternative, almost interchangeable with 'Qué lástima'. It can feel slightly more personal, like 'What a shame'.
A more complete sentence meaning 'It's a pity'. Use it for slightly more emphasis or in more formal writing.
A very common, slightly more informal way to say 'That's too bad' or 'That sucks'. It's direct and expresses disappointment.
Means 'How sad'. Use this when the situation is genuinely sad, not just a minor inconvenience.
You can't come to the party. What a pity!
I lost my wallet. What a shame, I had all my money there.
The concert was canceled because of the rain. That's too bad!
It's a pity the restaurant is closed today.
In Spain, 'Qué pena' is far more common than 'Qué lástima' to express 'What a pity'. Be aware that 'pena' can also mean 'embarrassment' in other contexts (e.g., 'me da pena' means 'it embarrasses me').
'Qué pesar' is a very common expression used interchangeably with 'Qué lástima' or 'Qué pena'. It directly translates to 'What a sorrow'.
A very common and informal regionalism is 'Qué macana'. It's used to express disappointment or frustration over a minor problem, similar to 'What a bummer'.
'Qué lástima' and 'Qué pena' are both very common and understood everywhere. 'Qué mal' is also frequently used in casual conversation.
Using 'piedad' instead of 'lástima' or 'pena'. — Saying 'Qué piedad' is incorrect. 'Piedad' means 'pity' in the sense of mercy or compassion ('tener piedad de alguien' - to have mercy on someone). For 'What a pity/shame', you must use 'lástima' or 'pena'.
Confusing 'pena' with 'dolor'. — 'Qué dolor' means 'What a pain!' and refers to physical pain. If you have a headache, you can say '¡Qué dolor de cabeza!'. It doesn't mean 'What a pity'.
Forgetting the accent on 'Qué'. — In exclamations and questions, 'qué' always has a written accent (tilde). Writing 'Que lástima' is a spelling error. The accent mark is essential to distinguish it from 'que' (that/which).
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