Phrase · 🔀 Register shifts
Lamento no poder asistir; le agradezco igualmente la invitación.
I regret that I am unable to attend; thank you all the same for the invitation.
C2declining an invitationformalAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Lamento1verbI regretlamentar · present · 1st sing.noadverbnotpoderverbbeing ableinfinitiveasistir2verbto attendinfinitive;le1object pronounyou (usted)usted · 3rd sing. · indirect objectagradezco3verbI thank foragradecer · present · 1st sing.igualmenteadverball the sameladeterminertheel · fem. · sing. · definiteinvitación3nouninvitationfem. · sing..
- Lamento → poder: lamentar + infinitive
- poder → asistir: poder + infinitive
- agradezco → invitación: agradecer + thing, no preposition
- agradezco → le: agradecer a alguien: dative
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Formal: lamentar + infinitive, asistir instead of ir, and usted (le). Typical of a written reply. Formal register: impersonalisation, nominalisation and correspondence →
- 2asistir a = to attend.
- 3agradecer algo a alguien: the thing thanked for is the direct object, with no por. 1st person agradezco. Present tense: irregular yo forms (-go, -zco), saber, dar, ver and ir →
Variations
- Gracias, pero esta vez no puedo ir.
- Uy, esta vez paso, ¡pero gracias!
- Le agradezco la invitación, pero me será imposible asistir.