Responding to Apologies in Spanish
When someone apologizes to you, here are a few ways you can respond:
- No te preocupes – “Don’t worry about it”
- Está bien – “It’s okay”
- No hay problema – “No problem”
- Te perdono – “I forgive you”
- Acepto tus disculpas – “I accept your apology”
Below table is designed to assist English speakers in learning how to apologize in Spanish. It provides various phrases for expressing apologies, from basic to more specific contexts, including expressions of regret, sincere apologies, acknowledgments of thoughtlessness or wrong behavior, requests for forgiveness, and clarifications that a mistake was unintentional.
| English Expression | Spanish Phrase | IPA Notation | Pronunciation Guide | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I’m sorry | Perdón | pɛɾˈðõn | pear-don | Basic apology |
| I’m sorry | Lo siento | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | loh see-en-toh | Basic apology |
| I apologize | Disculpa | disˈkulpa | dis-cool-pah | Basic apology |
| I regret it | Lo lamento | lo laˈmɛ̃nto | lo lah-men-toh | Basic apology |
| I’m truly sorry | En verdad lo siento | ɛ̃m bɛɾˈðað lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | en ver-dad lo see-en-toh | Sincere apology |
| I’m so sorry | Lo siento tanto | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈtãnto | lo see-en-toh tan-toh | Sincere apology |
| I feel terrible, I’m sorry | Me siento terrible, lo siento mucho | me ˈsjɛ̃nto tɛˈriβle | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo | meh see-en-toh teh-ree-bleh lo see-en-toh moo-cho | Expressing remorse |
| Sorry for my thoughtlessness | Lo siento mucho, fue muy descuidado de mi parte | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo | ˈfwe mwi ðɛskwiˈðaðo ðe mi ˈpaɾte | lo see-en-toh moo-cho foo-eh moo-y des-coo-e-da-doh deh me par-teh | Acknowledging carelessness |
| Sorry for my behavior | Lo siento mucho por mi comportamiento | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo poɾ mi kõmpoɾtaˈmjɛ̃nto | lo see-en-toh moo-cho pore me com-pore-tah-me-en-toh | Acknowledging wrong behavior |
| I apologize for crossing the line | Una disculpa, eso estuvo fuera de lugar | ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | ˈeso ɛsˈtuβo ˈfwɛɾa ðe luˈɣaɾ | oo-nah dis-cool-pah | Acknowledging improper behavior |
| A thousand apologies | Mil disculpas | ˈmil disˈkulpas | meel dis-cool-pas | Casual but sincere apology |
| I owe you an apology | Te debo una disculpa | te ˈðeβo ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | teh deh-bo oo-nah dis-cool-pah | Directly addressing someone you’ve wronged |
| Forgive me | Perdóname | pɛɾˈðoname | pear-doh-nah-meh | Asking for forgiveness |
| It wasn’t intentional | Lo siento, no lo hice a propósito | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈno lo ˈise a pɾoˈposito | lo see-en-toh no lo e-say ah pro-poh-see-toh | Clarifying a mistake was accidental |
| I didn’t think it through | Lo siento, no sé en qué estaba pensando | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈno ˈse ɛ̃n ˈke ɛsˈtaβa pɛ̃nˈsãndo | lo see-en-toh no say en keh es-tah-bah pen-san-doh | Admitting a lapse in judgment |
| It wasn’t intentional | Perdón, no quise hacerlo | pɛɾˈðõn | ˈno ˈkise aˈsɛɾlo | pear-don no key-seh ah-ser-lo | Clarifying a mistake was accidental. |
How to Say Sorry in Spanish – Top 10 Ways in 2024
Saying sorry is important in every language, and it’s something everyone understands, no matter where they’re from. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, and it has many different ways to express an apology.
The most common way to say sorry in Spanish is “Lo siento”. This phrase is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal settings. It directly translates to “I feel it,” reflecting a personal empathy towards the situation or the person affected.
In this article, we’re going to explore the different expressions for saying “sorry” in Spanish.