Phrase · 🫂 Difficult conversations
Siento tener que decirte que no te renovaron el contrato.
I'm sorry to have to tell you they didn't renew your contract.
C2giving bad newsAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Siento1verbI'm sorrysentir · present · 1st sing.tener1verbto haveinfinitiveque1conjunction(to)decirte2verbtell youdecir · infinitivequeconjunctionthatnoadverbnotte3object pronounyour (lit. to you)tú · 2nd sing. · indirect objectrenovaron3verbthey renewedrenovar · past · 3rd pl.eldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitecontratonouncontractmasc. · sing..
- Siento → tener: sentir + infinitive (same subject)
- tener → decirte: tener que + infinitive
- te → contrato: te: whose contract
- decirte → que: decir que + indicative
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Siento + infinitive = I'm sorry to…: same subject, so no que. A tactful opener for bad news. Subjunctive: emotions and reactions →
- 2The pronoun attaches to the infinitive: decirte = decir + te. Indirect object pronouns and doubling →
- 3Impersonal 3rd plural renovaron (= the company); the dative te marks whose contract it is. Impersonal and passive se; reciprocal se →
Variations
- Siento tener que decírtelo, pero no te renovaron el contrato.
- Lamento decirte que no te han renovado el contrato.
- Me duele decírtelo, pero no te renovaron el contrato.