Penas

Penas is the plural of pena, a Spanish noun with several related meanings. It can refer to pain or suffering, to penalties or punishments imposed for wrongdoing, and to feelings of pity or regret in everyday language.

In legal contexts, pena denotes a sanction assigned by a court, such as pena de prisión (prison sentence) or pena pecuniaria (fine). The term covers different levels and categories of punishment depending on jurisdiction.

In common speech, pena is used to express emotion: "qué pena" means what a pity or how unfortunate, and "dar pena" describes something that arouses pity or embarrassment. The expression "pena ajena" describes feeling sympathy for another person's misfortune.

Etymology: pena comes from the Latin poena, ultimately from Greek penē, meaning punishment or penalty.