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Sorry<\/em> always seems to be the hardest word, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way! Anyone who\u2019s learning French or visiting a French-speaking country needs to know how to say sorry in French. If you memorize a few key expressions then you\u2019ll know how to apologize appropriately in different situations.<\/p>\n There are all kinds of different ways you can say sorry <\/em>or excuse me<\/em> in French, depending on the situation and who you\u2019re speaking to. We\u2019re going to look at all the options, from formal correspondence to casual slang and everything in between.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s not something we hear every day, pardon<\/em> is a word that most people are familiar with. Pardon <\/em>is one of the many words that were taken from the French language. It comes from the medieval Latin \u201cperdonare\u201d meaning to concede or remit.<\/p>\n The French verb \u201cpardonner\u201d literally means \u201cto forgive\u201d, so the word \u201cpardon\u201d is used to ask for forgiveness.<\/p>\n You can see French pop singer Louane asking for forgiveness in one of her latest songs Pardonne-moi<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPardon\u201d has come to be used as a stand-alone word to say sorry:<\/p>\n Just like in English, it can also be used to ask people to repeat what they said when you didn\u2019t hear it the first time.<\/p>\n D\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/em> is the go-to word for French students when they’re looking to say \u201csorry\u201d, but most people don\u2019t actually know what it means.<\/p>\n The verb \u201cd\u00e9soler\u201d comes from the Latin word \u201cdesolare\u201d, meaning depopulate or ravage. It was first used in this context in French in the XII century. For example:<\/p>\n By the XIV century, it was used to mean \u201cto strike with great affliction\u201d.<\/p>\n This has evolved to become standard when something causes an inconvenience.<\/p>\n The past participle and adjective form is \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d. This is now the most commonly used term to say sorry<\/em> in French.<\/p>\n The meaning of \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9e\u201d is exactly the same as \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d, as is the pronunciation. The difference is that d\u00e9sol\u00e9e<\/em> is only used by feminine subjects. This means that if the speaker is a woman then they should add the second \u201ce\u201d to make the adjective feminine.<\/p>\n The same applies to plural subjects. For example, if you are speaking on behalf of a group of both men and women, you would use \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9s\u201d.<\/p>\n If the group is entirely female, you would instead use \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9es\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s vital to know that despite modifying adjectives to agree with the feminine or plural speaker, we do not change the sentences according to who we are addressing. Simply put, if you want to say sorry<\/em> in French to a woman or a man, the words remain the same.<\/p>\n The casual way to apologize in French is simply by shortening the phrase \u201cje suis d\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d to one word: d\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/em>. The meaning stays the same, and there is technically no difference in formality, but it may come across as less sincere than if you were to say the full sentence.<\/p>\n If you want to sound more like a native French speaker or make your apology sound more sincere, then you can add a selection of adverbs before the word d\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/em>.<\/p>\n The most common choice is \u201cje suis vraiment d\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d meaning \u201cI\u2019m really sorry\u201d. While English speakers typically prefer \u201cI\u2019m very sorry\u201d, the French do not use \u201ctr\u00e8s d\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d. Tr\u00e8s<\/em> expresses a degree, so it can’t be used in this case in French as really you are either sorry or you’re not. Instead, here are some adjectives you could use:<\/p>\n This is another extremely common way to apologize in French, and is pretty well known worldwide. It is composed of the verb \u201cexcuser\u201d, meaning to excuse<\/em>, followed by the object pronoun \u201cmoi\u201d, meaning me<\/em>.<\/p>\n The verb excuser<\/em> is conjugated in the second-person plural, vous<\/em>, which is used for both politeness and for addressing more than one person. It can be translated as \u201cexcuse me\u201d or simply \u201csorry\u201d.<\/p>\n When speaking to people you know well, as well as to children or people significantly younger than you, you use the informal subject pronoun \u201ctu\u201d. The conjugation of \u201cexcuser\u201d in the second-person singular form is \u201ctu excuses\u201d. However, in the imperative, conjugations of first-group verbs do not take an -s, hence \u201cexcuse-moi\u201d.<\/p>\n This is often criticized by true French-language lovers, as it could be considered excusing yourself rather than asking to be excused. That\u2019s because \u201cje m\u2019excuse\u201d literally translates to \u201cI excuse myself\u201d. That said, it is frequently used as an apology and it is unlikely to cause offense if used to say excuse me<\/em> in French.<\/p>\n If you want to apologize for a particular thing, then you can either state the action you are apologizing for, or you can replace it with the adverbial pronoun \u201cen\u201d.<\/p>\n You may be aware that formal French correspondence usually requires writing long sentences, for example, in letter endings. Likewise, written French apologies can be very wordy, but are considered necessary in formal contexts so as not to come across as impolite.<\/p>\n Most formal ways of apologizing start with je vous prie<\/em>, which means \u201cI ask you\u201d, but can be more literally translated to \u201cI beg you\u201d. We can follow this with a variety of apologies:<\/p>\n We can also \u201cpresent\u201d our apologies using \u201cje vous pr\u00e9sente mes excuses\u201d.<\/p>\n In English, “regret” is a noun or a verb that expresses a feeling of sadness, disappointment, or remorse about something that has happened or something that you have done or failed to do. It’s often associated with wishing that a different choice had been made. This is not always the case in French, as it can also carry a connotation of missing something or feeling sorry about something’s absence or loss.<\/p>\n Language often has nuances and cultural influences that shape its usage. In French, “je regrette” is a common way to convey an apology or express regret, even though it directly translates to “I regret.” It’s a cultural convention that has become a standard way of saying “I’m sorry” in French. The idea behind it is simple: acknowledging a mistake or expressing sorrow for causing inconvenience or hurt.<\/p>\n Another way to express sadness about something is \u201cje suis navr\u00e9\u201d. This is very similar to being \u201cd\u00e9sol\u00e9\u201d but slightly more formal, and we hear it less often. As navr\u00e9 <\/em>is an adjective, we must use adjective agreement depending on who is speaking.<\/p>\n The best way to respond to an apology in French is by saying \u201cno problem\u201d or \u201cdon\u2019t worry about it\u201d. You can do this with a simple phrase: C\u2019est pas grave !<\/em><\/p>\n This is technically written ce n’est pas grave<\/em>, but is often said so quickly that the \u201cn\u201d is dropped. Here are few alternatives:<\/p>\n As we have seen, there are many different ways to say sorry<\/em> and excuse me<\/em> in French. Apologies are an essential part of communication, so it\u2019s important to learn a couple before engaging in conversation with Francophones. Before traveling to a French-speaking country, make sure to learn all the basic vocabulary including please, thank you<\/a>, and “you\u2019re welcome” in French<\/a>. These will help you befriend the locals and show off your language skills.<\/p>\n Clozemaster\u00a0<\/strong>has been designed to help you learn the language in context by filling in the gaps in authentic sentences. With features such as Grammar Challenges, Cloze-Listening, and Cloze-Reading, the app will let you emphasize all the competencies necessary to become fluent in French.<\/p>\n<\/a>\u201cSorry\u201d in French \u2013 Pardon<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>French word for \u201csorry\u201d \u2013 D\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>The difference between d\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/em> and d\u00e9sol\u00e9e<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Saying \u201csorry\u201d in French to a girl<\/h2>\n
\u201cSorry\u201d in French informal<\/h2>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m very sorry\u201d in French<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>How to say \u201cexcuse me\u201d in French<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Excusez-moi<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Excuse-moi<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Je m\u2019excuse<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Je m\u2019en excuse<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Saying \u201csorry\u201d in French \u2013 formal<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Formal French apology \u2013 Je regrette<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Formal \u201csorry\u201d in French \u2013\u00a0Navr\u00e9<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>How to respond to \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d in French<\/h2>\n
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