la pena

la pena
peh'-nah
trouble; pity, shame; sentence
Examples
1. Valió la pena la caminata. ¡Qué vista!
The hike was worth the trouble. What a view!
 
2. La pena para el robo hormiga es dos meses de servicio comunitario.
The sentence for shoplifting is two weeks of community service.
 
Notes
If you're ever in Mexico, you may hear someone use the idiom "pena ajena," which literally means "someone else's shame." Often called "vergüenza ajena" in other Spanish-speaking countries, this term is used to describe embarrassment you feel on another person's behalf.