pena
Spanish, noun
pena is spelled P-E-N-A (4 letters) and appears 141 times per million words in written Spanish, the 605th most frequent Spanish word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Pena is a Spanish feminine noun meaning “punishment, sentence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a third-person singular present indicative of penar. With a tilde, peña is a different word: “a rock, stone, cliff or outcropping”. With an accent, pená is a different word: “second-person singular voseo imperative of penar”. The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Castigo impuesto por autoridad legítima a quien ha cometido un delito o falta”.
What does pena mean in English?
noun
- 1
femininepunishment, sentence
pena de prisión
- 2
femininepity (sympathy)
¡Ay, qué pena ese gato!
- 3
feminineused in dar pena
- 4
femininesorrow
- 5
feminineused in dar pena
- 6
Latin-Americafeminineembarrassment
- 7
femininetrouble
- 8
femininebellyache
verb
- 1
third-person singular present indicative
- 2
second-person singular imperative
noun
- 1
femininea rock, stone, cliff or outcropping
- 2
femininea group of regulars, circle of friends
- 3
colloquialfemininepeople
- 4
femininea left-wing cultural centre featuring music, dance, education, and activism
- 5
femininesupporters' club
verb
- 1
second-person singular voseo imperative of penar
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
noun: 1. Castigo impuesto por autoridad legítima a quien ha cometido un delito o falta. 2. Cuidado, aflicción o sentimiento interior grande. 3. Dolor, tormento o sentimiento corporal. 4. Dificultad, trabajo.
noun: 1. Cada una de las plumas mayores del ave, que stituadas en las extremidades de las alas o en el arranque de la cola, sirven principalmente para dirigir el vuelo. 2. Pluma₃. 3. Parte extrema y más delgada de una entena.
noun: 1. Piedra grande sin labrar según la produce la naturaleza 2. Monte con muchos peñascos. 3. Gente, grupo indeterminado de personas. 4. Grupo de amigos.
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of pena
- penas plural
- peñas plural
Source: English Wiktionary and Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to pena
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is pena in Spanish?
pena appears 141 times per million words in written Spanish.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).