Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Siento que no hayamos recibido el reembolso todavía. - I’m sorry that we haven’t received the refund yet.

Emotion/regret: Siento que no hayamos recibido el reembolso. (subjunctive)
Perception/opinion: Siento que no hemos recibido el reembolso. = “I feel/think that…” (indicative, different meaning)

Why the present perfect subjunctive instead of the simple present subjunctive (no recibamos)?

The perfect form (hayamos recibido) fits the idea of “not yet” up to now. No recibamos would sound like a general or future-facing situation (“that we don’t/won’t receive it”), not the idea of “we haven’t received it yet.”

What’s the difference between hayamos and hemos?

Hayamos = present subjunctive of haber (used after triggers like emotion, doubt, desire).
Hemos = present indicative of haber (used for stating facts). With siento que meaning “I’m sorry that…,” you need hayamos. With “I feel/think that…,” you can use hemos (but the meaning changes).

How do I form the present perfect subjunctive?

Use present subjunctive of haber + past participle:

haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayan + participle Examples:
Siento que no lo hayamos recibido.
Irregular participles to know: hecho, dicho, visto, puesto, abierto, escrito, vuelto, roto, muerto.

Where do the negation no and object pronouns go?

They go before the auxiliary haber:

Siento que no lo hayamos recibido todavía. Order: no + pronoun(s) + haya(n)/hayamos + participle + time adverb.

Is Lo siento que no hayamos recibido… correct?

No. Use either:

Lo siento. (stand-alone apology) + another sentence.
Siento que…
- subjunctive clause.
Lo siento por
- noun/infinitive: Lo siento por no haberlo recibido todavía.

What’s the difference between siento and me siento?

Siento = “I feel” (perceive) or “I’m sorry,” usually followed by que or a direct object: Siento que…, Siento mucho…
Me siento = “I feel” + adjective/state or “I sit down”: Me siento mal, Me siento cansado, Me siento (I sit down).

Can I omit que, or should it be de que?

You cannot drop que in this structure; Siento que… is required.
Do not say siento de que (that’s dequeísmo and is incorrect here).
Alternative without que: Siento no haber recibido el reembolso.

Can todavía go somewhere else? Is todavía no better?

Yes, placement is flexible:

Siento que todavía no hayamos recibido el reembolso. (very common)
Siento que no hayamos recibido el reembolso todavía. Both are fine; todavía no is a very common collocation.

Can I use aún instead of todavía?

Yes. Aún is a near-synonym (often a bit more formal/literary in some regions). Examples:

Siento que aún no hayamos recibido el reembolso. Remember: aún (with accent) = “still/yet”; aun (no accent) = “even.”

Why isn’t recibido plural or feminine here?

With haber, the past participle is invariable; it never agrees in gender/number:

No hayamos recibido (not “recibidos”). It only agrees when used as an adjective without haber (e.g., las puertas están cerradas).

How would I say it if the regret is in the past?

Use a past of emotion + past perfect subjunctive:

Ayer me molestó que para entonces no hubiéramos recibido el reembolso.
Sentí que todavía no lo hubiéramos recibido.

Is it ever okay to use the indicative after siento que?

Yes, but the meaning changes to “I feel/think that…” (opinion/perception), not “I’m sorry that.” For example:

Siento que nos están ignorando. = “I feel like they’re ignoring us.” If you want “I’m sorry that…,” keep the subjunctive.

Is reembolso the best word across Latin America? Are there synonyms?

Reembolso is widely understood for “refund” (money back).
Devolución can mean a return (of an item) or a refund; context matters.
Reintegro exists too, often more formal/financial. All three are understood; reembolso is safe in commerce. It’s masculine: el reembolso.

Any pronunciation or spelling tips?

Siento: the i is a glide; think “SYEN-to.”
Hayamos: silent h; y sounds like English y or a soft j depending on region.
Reembolso: two e’s pronounced in sequence: “re-EM-bol-so.”
Todavía: stress on the -í- (to-da-VEE-a). b/v sound the same in Spanish.

Could I say Siento que no lo recibamos todavía?

Grammatically yes (simple present subjunctive), but it changes the meaning to a general/non-completed action in the present or future. To express “we haven’t received it yet (up to now),” no lo hayamos recibido is the natural choice. In some regions you’ll hear indicative in main statements (Todavía no recibimos el reembolso), but after siento que expressing regret, use the subjunctive perfect.