regretter

In a sentence

• Je regrette de ne pas être venu à la fête.

  I regret not having come to the party.

  Here, 'regretter' expresses a feeling of lament over a past action (or inaction) the speaker wishes had been different.

• Il regrette son choix de carrière après tout ce temps.

  He regrets his career choice after all this time.

  In this instance, 'regretter' denotes a sense of remorse or dissatisfaction with a significant past decision.

• Nous regrettons seulement que vous ne puissiez pas rester plus longtemps.

  We only regret that you cannot stay longer.

  This sentence uses 'regretter' to convey sadness or disappointment over an unchangeable circumstance affecting the future.