pena

See also: Appendix:Variations of "pena"

Languages (20)

English

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Asturian • Bikol Central • Catalan • Galician • Guinea-Bissau Creole • Indonesian • Italian • Ladin • Latin • Old Occitan • Portuguese • Serbo-Croatian • Slovak • Slovene • Spanish • Tagalog • Turkish • Venetan • Volapük

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Page categories

English

Meitei classical musicians playing pena

Etymology

From Manipuri ꯄꯦꯅꯥ (penā).

Proper noun

pena

1. A Meitei classical musical instrument.

Anagrams

• -pnea, neap, NEPA, NAPE, pané, nape, pean, pane

Asturian

Noun

pena f (plural penes)

1. grief; sorrow
2. punishment
3. sentence (for a crime)

Derived terms

• ameritar la pena
• valir la pena

Bikol Central

Alternative forms

• penar — verb

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish pena.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpena/ [ˈpe.n̪a]
• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Noun

péna (Basahan spelling ᜉᜒᜈ)

1. penalty

   Synonym: padusa

2. prohibition; forbiddance

   Synonyms: prohibisiyon, pagbawal, pangalad

Verb

péna (Basahan spelling ᜉᜒᜈ)

1. to penalize

   Synonym: padusa

2. to prohibit, to forbid

   Synonym: prohibir

Derived terms

• ipena
• magpena
• penahan

Catalan

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Catalan pena, from Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpɛ.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈpe.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈpe.na]

Noun

pena f (plural penes)

1. punishment
2. (law) penalty
3. grief, sorrow, pain
4. difficulty, trouble
5. a shame, a pity

Derived terms

• a penes
• pena capital
• penal
• penar
• valer la pena

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin pinna (“fin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpɛ.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈpə.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈpe.na]

Noun

pena f (plural penes)

1. peen (of a hammer)
2. (nautical) aft portion of the yard (spar used to attach a sail)

Etymology 3

Inherited from Latin pinna (“merlon”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpɛ.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈpə.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈpe.na]

Noun

pena f (plural penes)

1. Alternative form of penya (“large rock”)

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpɛ.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈpe.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈpe.na]

Verb

pena

1. inflection of penar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

References

• “pena” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “pena”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “pena” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “pena” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpena/ [ˈpe.nɐ]
• Rhymes: -ena
• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese pena (displacing pẽa), from Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ, “penalty, fine, bloodmoney”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoynéh₂.

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

1. punishment, penalty

   Synonym: castigo

   • 1370, Enrique Cal Pardo, editor, Colección diplomática medieval do arquivo da catedral de Mondoñedo, Santiago: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 103:

     o bispo et esse Ferrand Bonome por si et por sa moller se obligaron su pena de mill mor. da boa moneda para gardaren a vnna parte aa outra todas estas cousas

     the bishop and this Fernando Bonome, for him and for his wife, compromised themselves, under a penalty of a thousand coins, to respect this agreement

2. pain; sadness

   Synonyms: dor, tristura, mágoa

   • 1370, Ramón Lorenzo, editor, Crónica troiana, A Coruña: Fundación Barrié, page 731:

     en guisa que a sua alma ouuese bẽeyçóm et nõ andase en pena

     so that his soul would be blessed and wouldn't wander in pain

Related terms

• pena de morte (“death penalty”)
• penar
• penitencia
• penitente
• que pena
• vale a pena

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese pena, from Latin pinna (“feather, wing”), from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én- (“feather, wing”), from *peth₂- (“to fly”).

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

1. vanes or blades of a water wheel

   Synonym: aspa

2. (archaic) feather

   Synonym: pluma

   • 1697, Juan Antonio Torrado, Fala o corvo:

     Fala o corbo, escoyten todos:
     Eu veño con asas negras
     Cortando os ventos de longe
     Para chegar à estas festas.
     Oge Apolo me tornou
     En brancas as negras penas,
     Para cantar como o Cisne
     As grandezas de Fonseca.

     The raven speaks, listen everyone:
     "I come with black wings
     Cutting the winds from afar
     To arrive to these feasts.
     Today Apolo turned
     White my black feathers
     For singing, as the Swan,
     The greatness of Fonseca."

3. (archaic) pelt

   Synonym: pelica

   • 1409, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Rufus, Jordanus: Tratado de Albeitaria, Santiago de Compostela: Centro Ramón Piñeiro, page 133:

     coito todo ensenbra con pena de gallina

     all of that boiled together with a hen pelt

Derived terms

• depenar (“to pluck, to peel”)
• depenicar (“to pluck”)
• penacho (“tuft, crest”)

Etymology 3

Pena do Guerreiro (rock known as "the Warrior"), Carnota, Galicia

Pena Surbia (2116 m) and Pena Trevinca (2127 m), highest mountains in Galicia

From Old Galician-Portuguese pena (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), either from Latin pinna ("feather, wing"; then "merlon, fortress"; then, hypothetically, "rock"), or from Proto-Celtic *kʷennom (“head”). Compare Portuguese penha.

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

1. boulder, rock

   Synonym: penedo

   • 1370, Ramón Lorenzo, editor, Crónica troiana, A Coruña: Fundación Barrié, page 688:

     alý se leuãtara hũa pena, que era en çima moy chãa et moyto alta contra o çeo

     there a rock stood, which was very flat at the top and which rose very high

2. (archaic, place names) hill, hillock; mountain

   Synonym: cabeza

Derived terms

• Pena
• Pena Corveira
• Penaboa
• Penalba
• Penalonga
• Penamaior
• Penamoura
• Pendón
• Peneda
• penedo (“boulder, rocky outcrop”)
• Penedón
• Penela
• Penelas
• Penido
• Penouco
• Penouta
• Penouzos

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “pena”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “pena”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “pena”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• "pena" in Santamarina, Antón (coord.): Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega. <http://ilg.usc.es/TILG/>
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “pena”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology

From Portuguese pena. Cognate with Kabuverdianu péna.

Noun

pena

1. feather

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay penna, from Portuguese pena (“quill”), from Old Galician-Portuguese pena, from Latin penna and pinna, from Proto-Italic *petnā (“feather, wing”), from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én- (“feather, wing”), from *peth₂- (“to fly”). Influenced by Dutch pen. Doublet of pen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpɛna]
• Hyphenation: pè‧na

Noun

pèna (plural pena-pena)

1. pen (writing utensil)

   Synonym: bolpen

Alternative forms

• pen (nonstandard)

Further reading

• “pena” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpe.na/
• Rhymes: -ena
• Hyphenation: pé‧na

Etymology 1

From Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ).

Noun

pena f (plural pene)

1. sorrow
2. trouble
3. worry, anxiety
4. pity
5. sentence, penalty, punishment

   Synonyms: castigo, punizione

6. pain

Derived terms

• fare pena
• istituto di pena
• penare
• prendersi la pena
• valere la pena

Related terms

• penale

Etymology 2

Verb

pena

1. inflection of penare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• pena in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• nepa, pane

Ladin

Etymology

From Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ).

Noun

pena f (plural penes)

1. penalty, punishment

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈpeː.na/, [ˈpeːnä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.na/, [ˈpɛːnä]

Noun

pēna f (genitive pēnae); first declension

1. Alternative form of poena [Mediaeval–early New Latin]

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	pēna	pēnae
genitive	pēnae	pēnārum
dative	pēnae	pēnīs
accusative	pēnam	pēnās
ablative	pēnā	pēnīs
vocative	pēna	pēnae

References

• "pena", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• pena in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• pena in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Old Occitan

Etymology

From Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ).

Noun

pena f (oblique plural penas, nominative singular pena, nominative plural penas)

1. pain; suffering

Synonyms

• dolor

Descendants

• Occitan: pena

Portuguese

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese pena (displacing pẽa), from Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ, “penalty, fine, bloodmoney”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoynéh₂.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.na/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.nɐ/

• Rhymes: -enɐ, (Brazil) -ẽnɐ
• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

1. punishment

   Synonyms: castigo, condenação

2. pain; sadness

   Synonyms: dor, tristeza

Derived terms

• penoso

Interjection

pena

1. pity (what a shame, what a pity)

Related terms

• penar
• penitência
• penitente
• vale a pena

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese pena, from Latin penna and pinna, from Proto-Italic *petnā (“feather, wing”), from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én- (“feather, wing”), from *peth₂- (“to fly”).

pena

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.na/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.nɐ/

• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

2. feather

   Synonym: pluma

4. quill (pen made from a feather)
5. (dated) Alternative form of penha

Derived terms

• penada
• Pena
• Penacova
• Penafiel
• Penalva

Related terms

• plumagem
• penugem

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpẽ.nɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.na/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛ.nɐ/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛnɐ, (Brazil) -enɐ, (Brazil) -ẽnɐ
• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Verb

pena

1. inflection of penar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• pȉna (Ikavian)
• pjȅna (Ijekavian)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pěna, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *(s)páināˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)poH(y)-.

Noun

pȅna f (Cyrillic spelling пе̏на)

1. foam

Declension

Declension of pena

	singular	plural
nominative	pȅna	pene
genitive	pene	pȇnā
dative	peni	penama
accusative	penu	pene
vocative	peno	pene
locative	peni	penama
instrumental	penom	penama

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pěna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpena]

Noun

pena f (relational adjective penový, diminutive penička or pienka)

1. foam

Declension

Declension of pena (pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	pena	peny
genitive	peny	pien
dative	pene	penám
accusative	penu	peny
locative	pene	penách
instrumental	penou	penami

Further reading

• “pena”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *pěna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pèːna/

Noun

pẹ́na f

1. foam

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, a-stem
nominative	péna
genitive	péne
	singular
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	péna
genitive (rodȋlnik)	péne
dative (dajȃlnik)	péni
accusative (tožȋlnik)	péno
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	péni
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	péno

Further reading

• “pena”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2025

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpena/ [ˈpe.na]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ena
• Syllabification: pe‧na

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Spanish pena, from Latin poena, from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ).

Noun

pena f (plural penas)

1. punishment

   Synonyms: castigo, condena

2. pain, sadness

   Synonyms: dolor, tristeza

3. trouble

   Synonyms: problema, dificultad

4. pity

   Synonym: lástima

5. (Latin America) embarrassment

   Synonyms: vergüenza, palta (Peru)

Derived terms

• a duras penas
• a penas
• ahogar las penas
• alma en pena
• apenar
• dar pena
• de pena
• hecho una pena
• ni pena ni gloria
• pena de la vida
• pena de muerte
• pena máxima
• penar
• penoso
• qué pena me das
• siervo de la pena
• sin pena ni gloria
• so pena de
• valer la pena

Related terms

• penal
• penitencia
• penitente

Etymology 2

Verb

pena

1. inflection of penar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “pena”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
• “pena”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “pena”, in Diccionario del español de México, Segunda edición, Academia Mexicana de la Lengua, 2019
• pena | Diccionario • DELE Ahora

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish pena.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈpena/ [ˈpɛː.n̪ɐ]
• Rhymes: -ena
• Syllabification: pe‧na

Noun

pena (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜈ)

1. punishment

   Synonyms: kastigo, parusa

2. penalty; fine
3. pain; sorrow; grief

Related terms

• penal

References

• “pena”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Turkish

Etymology

From Italian penna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛnɑ/
• Hyphenation: pe‧na

Noun

pena (definite accusative penayı, plural penalar)

1. (music) plectrum

Declension

Declension of pena

	singular	plural
nominative	pena	penalar
definite accusative	penayı	penaları
dative	penaya	penalara
locative	penada	penalarda
ablative	penadan	penalardan
genitive	penanın	penaların

Synonyms

• mızrap
• çalgıç
• tezene

Venetan

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *ad poenam, with apheresis of /a-/. Compare Italian appena, etc.

Adverb

pena

1. hardly

Volapük

Noun

pena

1. genitive singular of pen