Phrase · 🎭 Feelings with nuance

¡Qué lástima que no puedas quedarte a cenar!

What a shame you can't stay for dinner!

B2expressing feelingsinformalAudio · coming soon

Why every word is where it is

¡Qué1determinerwhat (a)lástima1nounshame, pityfem. · sing.queconjunctionthatnoadverbnotpuedas2verbyou canpoder · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.quedarte2verbstayquedar · infinitiveaprepositionforcenarverbhave dinnerinfinitive!

lástima → puedas: mood
puedas → quedarte: obj
quedarte → a: prep

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

1
¡Qué lástima que + subjunctive! = what a shame that. The safest choice across Latin America; in Mexico ¡qué pena! can sound like “how embarrassing”. Subjunctive: emotions and reactions →
2
puedas quedarte: subjunctive of poder, where Portuguese uses the indicative (pode). Quedarse a cenar = to stay for dinner. Subjunctive: emotions and reactions →