{"id":5261,"date":"2022-05-23T15:04:54","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T15:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=5261"},"modified":"2023-03-22T10:51:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T10:51:39","slug":"sorry-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/sorry-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say \u201cSorry\u201d in Spanish for Every Occasion"},"content":{"rendered":"

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No one is exempt from making a mistake here and there, which makes apologizing a key piece of vocabulary to learn. There are also other reasons why you might say you\u2019re sorry, such as when someone passes away or when you\u2019re asking someone to move aside to let you through.<\/p>\n

Just like there are different ways to apologize in English, there are also quite a few ways to say \u201csorry\u201d in Spanish. You might already be familiar with the most common ways to say \u201csorry\u201d in Spanish: \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d and \u201clo siento<\/em>\u201d. However, in this article, we\u2019ll cover a variety of situations and useful words and phrases you can use in each of them.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Say \u201cSorry\u201d in Spanish When You\u2019ve Done Something Wrong<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve all gotten things wrong now and then. The most important thing is to admit we have and try to make up for it. Below, you\u2019ll find different ways to apologize depending on who you are apologizing to and how big the blunder was.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Perd\u00f3n (I\u2019m sorry<\/em>) \/ Perd\u00f3name (forgive me)<\/h3>\n

As we\u2019ve mentioned, this is one of the most common ways to say \u201csorry\u201d in Spanish. Perd\u00f3n<\/em> is very malleable and can be used in most cases where the misstep has been relatively mild (e.g., when you bump into someone in the street, when you drop something or when you interrupt someone when they\u2019re talking).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, \u201cperd\u00f3name<\/em>\u201d is a variant of \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d. It can be used in the same contexts but, instead of apologizing, you are asking for forgiveness. It may sound very intense in English, but isn\u2019t in Spanish.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Lo siento (I\u2019m sorry<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

Just like \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d, \u201clo siento<\/em>\u201d is both common and can be used in various situations to say \u201csorry\u201d in Spanish. However, \u201clo siento<\/em>\u201d extends to even more usages. As we\u2019ll see later on in this article, this phrase can also be used to show you are sorry for someone\u2019s loss. If you are feeling particularly bad about something you did (for example, accidentally breaking a treasured belonging), you can also use \u201clo siento mucho<\/em>\u201d (I\u2019m very sorry).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Te\/Le pido disculpas (I apologize \/ I ask for your forgiveness<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This is a lighter version of \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d. The version with \u201cTe\u201d is informal, while the one with \u201cLe\u201d is formal.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Te pido disculpas de coraz\u00f3n (I sincerely apologize<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This is a more intense version of the previous phrase and literally translates to \u201cI apologize from the heart\u201d, meaning you truly mean this apology.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Te\/Le debo disculpas (I owe you an apology<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

Much like in English, this Spanish expression conveys that you are in the wrong while not really apologizing. Just like with \u201cTe\/Le pido disculpas<\/em>\u201d, the version with \u201cTe\u201d is informal, while the one with \u201cLe\u201d is formal.<\/p>\n

<\/a>No te imaginas cu\u00e1nto lo siento (You can\u2019t imagine how sorry I am<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This is the phrase to use when your blunder is major and\/or you are truly upset about what happened.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Say \u201cExcuse Me\u201d in Spanish<\/h2>\n

We sometimes say \u201csorry\u201d in contexts where we haven\u2019t necessarily done something wrong. Here are a couple of examples of this in Spanish.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Perd\u00f3n\/Perdona (I\u2019m sorry \/ Excuse me<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

You can also use \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d (or \u201cperdona<\/em>\u201d) in a similar way to \u201cexcuse me<\/em>\u201d when you want to get someone\u2019s attention to ask a question, when you want to interrupt someone, or are trying to get around someone to reach a product at the supermarket.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Disculpa\/Disculpe (I\u2019m sorry \/ Excuse me<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

These work the same way as \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d and \u201cperdona<\/em>\u201d, but are a bit more formal. As you may know, Spanish has different forms to say \u201cyou<\/em>\u201d depending on the level of formality. Moreover, you can see who someone is referring to from the verb conjugation. In this case, \u201cdisculpa<\/em>\u201d is for \u201ctu”<\/em> (informal, but still more formal than \u201cperd\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d) and \u201cdisculpe<\/em>\u201d for \u201cvos<\/em>\u201d (formal).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Con permiso (Excuse me<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This phrase literally translates into \u201cwith permission\u201d and is used just like \u201cexcuse me\u201d in English. You can use it when you want to squeeze through a crowded space, for example.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Say \u201cSorry\u201d in Spanish to Comfort Someone<\/h2>\n

You may also say sorry to someone not because of something you did, but because of something negative that has happened to them. Here are a few ways in which you can do this.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Lo siento (I\u2019m sorry<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

As we\u2019ve mentioned above, \u201clo siento<\/em>\u201d can also be used as a way to show support when someone\u2019s suffered a loss. They might\u2019ve had a death in the family, be in the middle of a divorce or had a break-in.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Siento\/Lamento lo ocurrido (I\u2019m sorry about what happened<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This phrase works just like \u201clo siento<\/em>\u201d in this particular context.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Lo siento mucho\/tanto (I\u2019m very sorry<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

You can use \u201clo siento mucho\/tanto<\/em>\u201d when you are feeling particularly bad about something that happened to someone (e.g.: when they suffered a loss, failed an exam or lost their job). This is a more heartfelt way to say you\u2019re sorry.<\/p>\n

<\/a>No sabes cu\u00e1nto lo siento (I\u2019m extremely sorry<\/em>)\/\u00a1Cu\u00e1nto lo siento! (I\u2019m so sorry<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

If what happened is even more devastating, you can use one of these two phrases that express how badly you feel about the situation the other person is facing.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Forgive Someone in Spanish<\/h2>\n

We\u2019d like to think you won\u2019t be the only one apologizing, so, in addition to teaching you how to say \u201csorry\u201d in Spanish, we thought it would be useful to add a section on accepting apologies. Here are some common phrases that will help you forgive someone in Spanish.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Te perdono (I forgive you<\/em>) \/ Est\u00e1s perdonado (You\u2019re forgiven<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This is the most straightforward way to say you accept someone\u2019s apology.<\/p>\n

<\/a>No pasa nada (Don\u2019t worry about it<\/em>) \/ No hay problema (No worries<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

If you are not really bothered by what happened\u2014maybe it was just an accident\u2014you can use these phrases.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Gracias (Thank you<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

You might find it unusual that we thank someone for apologizing, but hear us out. First, sometimes apologizing is a big deal and deserves your appreciation. Second, this is usually the go-to when someone is saying they\u2019re sorry for your loss. If you are curious about more ways to say \u201cthank you\u201d in Spanish, you can take a look at this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Say \u201cSorry\u201d in Spanish \u2013 Examples<\/h2>\n

Most of the phrases we\u2019ve seen above are pretty straightforward. However, we\u2019ll show you some example situations to give you an idea of their real-life usage.<\/p>\n

<\/a>When you accidentally bump into someone in the street:<\/h3>\n