5 ways to say sorry in Spanish

Knowing how to ask for forgiveness is essential for your day-to-day life, since everyone makes mistakes or go wrong, but do you know how to say sorry in Spanish? It is one of the first lessons, along with the Spanish colors or numbers, that you should learn in Spanish. Therefore, in this article you will learn 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French or Italian.

How to say sorry in Spanish?

If you want to have an effective communication with those around you, knowing how to apologize is essential. How to express yourself, say sorry or apologize in Spanish can lead you to a more positive communication with those around you.

Therefore, knowing in which situation how to apologize in Spanish is essential for you to continue developing your Spanish language skills. Whether you've bumped into someone on the street or made a mistake in class, knowing how to spot the mistake is a sign of empathy and respect for the other person.

In Spanish there are several ways to say sorry or apologize, depending on the situation, the person you are addressing or the degree of the error. For this reason, here are the 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish:

Lo siento (I’m sorry): is the most common expression for apologizing. For example, if you have bumped into someone or forgotten the name of your interlocutor. It is a phrase that is used in everyday life, in many situations and very easy to hear anywhere.

Examples:

• Lo siento mucho (I am sorry for what I said yesterday)
• Siento lo que te dije ayer (I'm sorry for what I said yesterday)
• Siento no haber llegado a tiempo (I'm sorry I didn't arrive on time)

Perdón (Excuse me or Sorry): is used in situations very similar to lo siento, but mostly when you don't understand something or want clarification. For example, when you haven't heard something and want it repeated.

Examples:

• Perdona, no te he visto (Excuse me, I didn't see you)
• Perdone, ¿me puede repetir lo que ha dicho? (Excuse me, could you repeat what you said?)
• Perdón, ¿me deja pasar? (Excuse me, may I come in?)
• Te pido perdón (I beg your pardon)

Disculpa (Excuse me): it is related to the expression “pedir disculpas” (to apologize), it is used in many contexts or when small accidents happen. It is a word closely related to perdón, so you can interchange them, and the meaning will be the same.

You can use this word in formal contexts, disculpe, or more informal, disculpa.

Examples:

• Disculpe, ¿sabe cómo llegar al metro? (Excuse me, do you know how to get to the subway?)
• Discúlpame (Excuse me)
• Te pido disculpas, no era mi intención ofenderte (I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you)

Lo lamento (I'm sorry or I regret): this expression is used in the same situations as lo siento. You can use it in multiple contexts and, if you substitute lo siento for lo lamento, the sentence will have the same meaning. Although it is true that lo lamento is a deeper expression than lo siento, it is mostly used to express condolences.

Examples:

• Lamento oír eso (I'm sorry to hear that)
• Lametno tu pérdida (I'm sorry for your loss)
• Lo lamento (I'm sorry)
• Lamento lo que pasó ayer (I'm sorry for what happened to you yesterday)

Con permiso (With permission/Excuse me): this phrase does not mean to apologize or say sorry in a literal way, but you can use it to ask for permission when you want to make your way through a crowd. With this expression you are not apologizing for something you have done wrong, but you are asking permission for something that is going to happen. In English it could be translated as “excuse me”.

Examples:

• Con permiso, ¿me deja pasar? (Excuse me, may I get through?)
• Permiso por favor, tengo que llegar a esa mesa (Excuse me please, I have to get to that table)

Other expressions to apologize in Spanish

Although these are the most common 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish, there are other expressions or phrases you can use that are very useful in Spanish. For example: me arrepiento or es mi culpa.

In addition, these verbs in Spanish are used to ask for forgiveness or apologies: disculparse, pedir perdón, perdonar, arrepentirse, reconciliarse or lamentarse.

Here are some examples:

1. Me arrepiento de lo que pasó ayer (I regret what happened yesterday)
2. No debí haber hecho eso, espero que puedas perdonarme (I shouldn't have done that, I hope you can forgive me)
3. Es mi culpa que se cayeran los libros (It's my fault the books fell down)
4. No sabes cuanto lo siento. ¿Me perdonas? (You don't know how sorry I am. Can you forgive me?)
5. Te perdono, no pasa nada (I forgive you, it's okay)
6. No hay problema, fue un error, queda olvidado (No problem, it was a mistake, it's forgotten)
7. Nos reconciliamos después de nuestra pelea (We made up after our fight)
8. Me pidió perdón por haberse quedado mi chaqueta (He asked me to forgive him for keeping my jacket)
9. Se disculpó por no haber recogido el paquete de la tienda (He apologized for not picking up the package from the store)
10. Disculpa, ¿puedes traerme un vaso de agua? (Excuse me, can you get me a glass of water?)
11. Con permiso, tengo que coger este tren (Excuse me, I have to catch this train)
12. Perdona, no te he visto (Excuse me, I didn't see you)

Do you have any more questions? You can ask one of our teachers in our Spanish courses in Spain. Get into the language now, improve your level and live a unique experience in a native Spanish country to master it completely. At donQuijote we help you improve your level, learn in a short time and get a certificate that certifies your level.