Saying sorry is a simple but powerful way to show respect, kindness, and understanding. Whether you have made a mistake, accidentally hurt someone’s feelings, or want to express sympathy, knowing how to apologise in another language can help you communicate more naturally.
The word “sorry” has different translations around the world. Some languages use one short expression for everyday apologies, while others have different phrases for formal situations, serious mistakes, and asking someone to forgive you.
In this guide, you will discover how to say sorry in different languages, with native translations, easy English pronunciations, practical example sentences, and their English meanings. These expressions will help you learn how people apologise in different cultures and communicate more confidently when travelling, studying, or meeting people from other countries.
Sorry in Different Languages: Quick Answer
Here are some common ways to say sorry in different languages:
- English: Sorry
- Spanish: Lo siento
- French: Désolé(e)
- German: Es tut mir leid
- Italian: Mi dispiace
- Portuguese: Desculpa
- Japanese: ごめんなさい
- Korean: 미안해요
- Mandarin Chinese: 对不起
- Hindi: माफ़ कीजिए
- Urdu: معاف کیجیے
- Arabic: آسف
The correct expression depends on the language, situation, level of formality, and relationship between the speakers.
How to Say Sorry in Different Languages
| Language | Native phrase | Easy English pronunciation | Example sentence | English meaning |
| English | Sorry | SOR-ee | Sorry, I am late. | I apologise for being late. |
| Spanish | Lo siento | Loh SYEN-toh | Lo siento, llegué tarde. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| French | Désolé(e) | Day-zoh-LAY | Désolé, je suis en retard. | Sorry, I am late. |
| German | Es tut mir leid | Es toot meer lite | Es tut mir leid, ich bin zu spät. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Italian | Mi dispiace | Mee dees-PYAH-cheh | Mi dispiace, ho sbagliato. | Sorry, I made a mistake. |
| Portuguese | Desculpa | Des-KOOL-pah | Desculpa, cheguei tarde. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Dutch | Sorry | SOR-ee | Sorry, ik ben te laat. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Afrikaans | Jammer | YAH-mer | Jammer, ek is laat. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Swedish | Förlåt | Fur-LOAT | Förlåt, jag är sen. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Norwegian | Unnskyld | OON-shill | Unnskyld, jeg er sen. | Excuse me, I am late. |
| Danish | Undskyld | OON-skul | Undskyld, jeg kommer for sent. | Sorry, I am arriving late. |
| Finnish | Anteeksi | AHN-tehk-see | Anteeksi, olen myöhässä. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Icelandic | Fyrirgefðu | FIH-rir-gev-thu | Fyrirgefðu, ég kom of seint. | Sorry, I arrived too late. |
| Irish | Tá brón orm | Taw brohn urm | Tá brón orm, tá mé déanach. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Welsh | Mae’n ddrwg gen i | Mine throog gen ee | Mae’n ddrwg gen i, rydw i’n hwyr. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Scottish Gaelic | Tha mi duilich | Ha mee DOO-lich | Tha mi duilich, tha mi fadalach. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Polish | Przepraszam | Psheh-PRAH-sham | Przepraszam, spóźniłem się. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Czech | Promiňte | Proh-MIN-yteh | Promiňte, přišel jsem pozdě. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Slovak | Prepáčte | Preh-PAACH-teh | Prepáčte, meškám. | Sorry, I am running late. |
| Slovenian | Oprostite | Oh-proh-STEE-teh | Oprostite, zamujam. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Croatian | Oprostite | Oh-proh-STEE-teh | Oprostite, kasnim. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Serbian | Извините | Eez-VEE-nee-teh | Извините, касним. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Bosnian | Izvinite | Eez-vee-NEE-teh | Izvinite, kasnim. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Bulgarian | Съжалявам | Suh-zhah-LYAH-vam | Съжалявам, закъснях. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Macedonian | Извини | Eez-VEE-nee | Извини, задоцнив. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Russian | Извините | Eez-vee-NEE-teh | Извините, я опоздал. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Ukrainian | Вибачте | Vih-BAACH-teh | Вибачте, я запізнився. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Belarusian | Прабачце | Prah-BAACH-tseh | Прабачце, я спазніўся. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Greek | Συγγνώμη | See-GHNO-mee | Συγγνώμη, άργησα. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Romanian | Îmi pare rău | Uhm pah-reh row | Îmi pare rău, am întârziat. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Hungarian | Sajnálom | SHY-nah-lom | Sajnálom, elkéstem. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Albanian | Më fal | Muh fal | Më fal, jam vonë. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Lithuanian | Atsiprašau | Aht-see-prah-SHOW | Atsiprašau, pavėlavau. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Latvian | Atvainojiet | Aht-vai-NOH-yet | Atvainojiet, es kavēju. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Estonian | Vabandust | VAH-bahn-doost | Vabandust, ma jäin hiljaks. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Turkish | Özür dilerim | Uh-ZOOR dee-leh-reem | Özür dilerim, geç kaldım. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Azerbaijani | Bağışlayın | Bah-uhsh-lah-YUHN | Bağışlayın, gecikdim. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Kazakh | Кешіріңіз | Keh-shee-ree-NEEZ | Кешіріңіз, кешігіп қалдым. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Uzbek | Kechirasiz | Keh-chee-rah-SEEZ | Kechirasiz, kech qoldim. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Kyrgyz | Кечиресиз | Keh-chee-reh-SEEZ | Кечиресиз, кечигип калдым. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Persian | متأسفم | Mote’assefam | متأسفم، دیر کردم. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Arabic | أنا آسف | Ana aasif | أنا آسف، لقد تأخرت. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Hebrew | סליחה | Slih-HAH | סליחה, איחרתי. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Urdu | معاف کیجیے | Maaf kee-JEE-yeh | معاف کیجیے، مجھے دیر ہو گئی۔ | Sorry, I am late. |
| Hindi | माफ़ कीजिए | Maaf kee-JEE-ye | माफ़ कीजिए, मुझे देर हो गई। | Sorry, I am late. |
| Bengali | দুঃখিত | Dukh-khi-to | দুঃখিত, আমার দেরি হয়ে গেছে। | Sorry, I am late. |
| Punjabi | ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ | Maaf kar-NAH | ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੇਰ ਹੋ ਗਈ। | Sorry, I am late. |
| Gujarati | માફ કરશો | Maaf kar-SHO | માફ કરશો, મને મોડું થયું. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Marathi | माफ करा | Maaf ka-RAH | माफ करा, मला उशीर झाला. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Nepali | माफ गर्नुहोस् | Maaf gar-noo-HOS | माफ गर्नुहोस्, मलाई ढिलो भयो। | Sorry, I am late. |
| Sinhala | සමාවෙන්න | Sah-mah-VEHN-nah | සමාවෙන්න, මට පරක්කු වුණා. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Tamil | மன்னிக்கவும் | Man-nik-ka-vum | மன்னிக்கவும், நான் தாமதமாக வந்தேன். | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Telugu | క్షమించండి | Ksha-min-chan-di | క్షమించండి, నాకు ఆలస్యమైంది. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Kannada | ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ | Ksha-mi-see | ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ, ನನಗೆ ತಡವಾಯಿತು. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Malayalam | ക്ഷമിക്കണം | Ksha-mik-ka-nam | ക്ഷമിക്കണം, ഞാൻ വൈകി. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Mandarin Chinese | 对不起 | Dway boo-CHEE | 对不起，我迟到了。 | Sorry, I am late. |
| Japanese | ごめんなさい | Goh-men-nah-sai | ごめんなさい、遅れました。 | Sorry, I am late. |
| Korean | 죄송합니다 | Chway-song-ham-nee-da | 죄송합니다, 늦었습니다. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Vietnamese | Xin lỗi | Sin loy | Xin lỗi, tôi đến muộn. | Sorry, I arrived late. |
| Thai | ขอโทษ | Khoh-thoht | ขอโทษ ฉันมาสาย | Sorry, I am late. |
| Indonesian | Maaf | Mah-AHF | Maaf, saya terlambat. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Malay | Maaf | Mah-AHF | Maaf, saya lambat. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Filipino | Pasensya na | Pah-sen-SHAH nah | Pasensya na, nahuli ako. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Burmese | တောင်းပန်ပါတယ် | Taung-pan-ba-deh | တောင်းပန်ပါတယ်၊ ကျွန်တော် နောက်ကျသွားတယ်။ | Sorry, I am late. |
| Khmer | សុំទោស | Som-toh | សុំទោស ខ្ញុំមកយឺត។ | Sorry, I am late. |
| Lao | ຂໍໂທດ | Khaw-thoht | ຂໍໂທດ ຂ້ອຍມາຊ້າ. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Swahili | Samahani | Sah-mah-HAH-nee | Samahani, nimechelewa. | Sorry, I am late. |
| Amharic | ይቅርታ | Yih-kir-TAH | ይቅርታ፣ ዘግይቻለሁ። | Sorry, I am late. |
Why Learning to Say Sorry in Different Languages Matters
An apology can help repair misunderstandings, show empathy, and maintain positive relationships. Learning a few common expressions is particularly useful when communicating with people whose first language is different from yours.
Here are three reasons to learn these translations:
- Travel: Apologise politely if you bump into someone, arrive late, or make a mistake while travelling.
- Communication: Express regret more naturally when speaking with international friends, colleagues, or customers.
- Cultural understanding: Learn how different languages express politeness, responsibility, and respect.
Even a short apology can make a conversation friendlier. However, using the appropriate level of formality is just as important as choosing the correct words.
Different Ways to Say Sorry Around the World
Not every apology has the same meaning. Some expressions are suitable for small everyday mistakes, while others communicate deeper regret.
Casual apologies
Casual expressions are useful with friends, family members, and people you know well.
Examples include:
- English: Sorry
- Spanish: Perdón
- French: Pardon
- Italian: Scusa
- Japanese: ごめん
- Korean: 미안해
The exact expression depends on the language and relationship. Some forms may sound too informal when speaking to an older person, a customer, or a stranger.
Formal apologies
Formal expressions are more appropriate for workplaces, customer interactions, and conversations with unfamiliar people.
Examples include:
- English: I apologise.
- Spanish: Le pido disculpas.
- French: Je vous prie de m’excuser.
- German: Entschuldigen Sie bitte.
- Japanese: 申し訳ありません.
- Korean: 죄송합니다.
These expressions generally communicate greater politeness or respect than casual alternatives.
Heartfelt apologies
When you have made a serious mistake, a simple “sorry” may not fully express your feelings. A longer apology can communicate genuine regret and a willingness to make things right.
For example:
- English: I am truly sorry for what I did.
- Spanish: De verdad, lo siento por lo que hice.
- French: Je suis vraiment désolé pour ce que j’ai fait.
- German: Es tut mir wirklich leid, was ich getan habe.
A sincere apology should acknowledge what happened rather than simply repeat the word “sorry”.
How to Use Sorry in Different Languages Correctly
Learning a translation is only the first step. Understanding when and how to use it helps you sound more natural.
Consider the situation. A casual apology between friends may be different from an apology to a teacher, manager, or customer.
Pay attention to formality. Languages such as Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and French have different ways of expressing politeness depending on the person you are addressing.
Practise pronunciation. Read the phrase aloud several times. Listening to native speakers can help you understand the rhythm and sounds more accurately.
Learn a complete sentence. Instead of memorising only a translation, practise a sentence such as “Sorry, I made a mistake” or “I am sorry for being late.”
Understand the context. In English, “sorry” can express regret, sympathy, or a polite interruption. Other languages may use different expressions for these situations.
Common Mistakes When Saying Sorry in Another Language
When learning sorry in different languages, beginners sometimes make mistakes that affect how their apology sounds.
- Using informal language in formal situations: A casual expression may sound disrespectful when speaking to a stranger or professional contact.
- Translating word for word: A literal translation may not be the expression that native speakers commonly use.
- Ignoring pronunciation: Small differences in sounds or tones can make a phrase difficult to understand.
- Using an apology in the wrong context: Some expressions mean “excuse me”, while others communicate regret for an action.
- Forgetting the meaning of the full sentence: Learn what your example sentence means so you can use it appropriately.
The best approach is to learn common expressions in context and practise them regularly.
Tips for Memorising Sorry Translations
You do not need to memorise all 70 translations at once. A simple learning routine can make the process easier.
- Learn five expressions each day.
- Say each phrase aloud several times.
- Write the native phrase beside its English meaning.
- Practise one real-life sentence for every expression.
- Review older phrases before learning new ones.
You can also group languages by region or by writing system. This can make the phrases easier to organise and remember.
Conclusion
Learning how to say sorry in different languages is a useful way to improve communication, show respect, and build connections with people around the world. From lo siento in Spanish to 对不起 in Mandarin Chinese and معاف کیجیے in Urdu, every expression offers a way to acknowledge a mistake or express regret.
Use the table of 70 languages as a starting point, practise the pronunciations, and pay attention to the situation in which each phrase is used. A thoughtful apology, delivered with sincerity, can help make conversations more respectful and meaningful.
FAQs
1. How do you say sorry in different languages?
Some common translations are lo siento in Spanish, désolé in French, mi dispiace in Italian, 对不起 in Mandarin Chinese, ごめんなさい in Japanese, and معاف کیجیے in Urdu.
2. What is the most common way to say sorry around the world?
There is no single expression used worldwide. English speakers commonly say “sorry”, Spanish speakers use “lo siento”, and French speakers often use “désolé” or “pardon”. The most appropriate phrase depends on the language and situation.
3. How do you say sorry politely in another language?
Choose a formal expression when speaking to a stranger, an older person, a customer, or someone in a professional setting. For example, Japanese speakers may use 申し訳ありません, while Korean speakers may use 죄송합니다.
4. What is the difference between sorry and excuse me?
“Sorry” commonly expresses regret or sympathy, while “excuse me” is often used to get someone’s attention, interrupt politely, or move past someone. Some languages use the same expression for both purposes, but others distinguish between them.
5. Why are there different translations for sorry in different languages?
Languages reflect different cultural conventions, grammar, and levels of politeness. Some use short expressions, while others use phrases that literally communicate regret, ask forgiveness, or acknowledge an inconvenience. The right translation depends on the context.
