Learning to say sorry is one of the necessities in learning any language, and Spanish is no different.
Whether it’s expressing remorse for something you did, asking for forgiveness for slipping past someone on the street or asking for someone’s attention, apologizing is certainly something you should know how to do.
This post will take you through 12 ways that you can apologize in Spanish as well as how to respond when you are apologized to.
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How To Say Sorry in Spanish
1. Lo siento — I’m sorry
Context: To ask for forgiveness, express remorse or to express sympathy
This is probably the most commonly used expression for asking for forgiveness and making other people feel we understand what they are going through.
There are many different forms of lo siento:
Lo siento. No lo volveré a hacer. (I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.)
Lo siento mucho. Por favor, no te vayas. (I’m very sorry. Please, don’t go.)
Siento mucho lo de tu padre. (I’m very sorry about your father.)
Siento mucho que tengas que irte. (I’m very sorry you have to go.)
Siento el ruido. (Sorry for the noise.)
2. Perdona — Forgive me
Context: To apologize for something minor, to get someone’s attention or to show you didn’t hear/understand something
You can also use perdone for more formal situations:
Perdona por llegar tarde. (Sorry for being late.)
Perdone, ¿sabe dónde está la calle Málaga? (Excuse me, do you know where Málaga Street is?)
3. Perdón — Sorry, excuse me
Context: To apologize for small inconveniences or something that’s not a big deal
Perdón is similar to perdona, but perdón is slightly less formal.
It can also be used to say “excuse me.”
¡Perdón! Fue un accidente. (Sorry! It was an accident.)
Perdón, no entendí lo que dijiste. (Sorry, I didn’t understand what you said.)
4. Disculpa — Excuse me
Context: To apologize for something or to attract someone’s attention
Disculpa can be used in an informal or formal situation (disculpe is the formal version):
Disculpa, no te había oído. (Sorry, I hadn’t heard you.)
Disculpe, no sabía que estaba esperando. (I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were waiting.)
Disculpe, ¿sabe dónde está el banco? (Excuse me, do you know where the bank is?)
5. Con permiso — Excuse me
Context: To say “excuse me”
We use this to say “excuse me” in the way that we ask for permission to do something.
Con permiso, necesito pasar. (Excuse me, I need to pass through.)
6. Permíteme — Allow me
Context: To ask for permission or forgiveness for something you’re about to do (very polite)
You may use the less formal permíteme with a friend or family member and permítame for someone you are less familiar with:
Permíteme decir algo. (Allow me to say something.)
Permítame venir con usted. (Let me come with you.)
7. Me arrepiento — I regret
Context: To express regret
This is used to say that you regret what you have done. It is a reflexive verb and you usually use it in the first person singular and plural:
Me arrepiento de lo que he hecho. (I regret what I’ve done.)
Nos arrepentimos de decir eso. (We regret saying that.)
8. Lamento — I’m sorry
Context: To express remorse, sympathy and condolences
This is used similarly to lo siento, and is used to offer apologies or condolences:
Lamento muchísimo lo ocurrido. (I’m sorry for what’s happened.)
Lamento la pérdida de tu hermana. (I’m sorry for the loss of your sister.)
9. Te compadezco — I feel sorry for you
Context: To express that you feel sorry for someone
This phrase can be either formal or informal.
Te compadezco. (I feel sorry for you.)
Lo compadezco. (I feel sorry for you.)
10. Mi más sentido pésame — My deepest condolences
Context: To express very deep condolences and sympathy for someone
This expression is only used when offering our deepest condolences to someone.
Mi más sentido pésame por tu perdida. (My deepest condolences for your loss.)
11. Es una lástima — It’s a pity, it’s a shame
Context: To express regret or disappointment
This phrase is used similarly to the English “it’s a pity.”
So while it’s not used as much to ask for forgiveness, it’s a good way to tell someone you’re sorry for how something turned out.
For example:
Es una lástima que yo no pueda ir a la fiesta de esta noche. (It’s a pity I can’t go to the party tonight.)
Es una lástima que no puedas jugar en el partido. (It’s a shame you can’t play in the match.)
Verbs To Say Sorry in Spanish
12. Perdonar — To forgive
This is the verb behind the phrases perdona and perdón. It means “to forgive,” and is used the same way the English verb is used.
Since you usually use this verb in the context of forgiving someone, you’ll often see direct object pronouns attached to the end or before the conjugated verb.
For example:
No puedo perdonarte. (I cannot forgive you.)
La perdoné. (I forgave her.)
13. Pedir perdón — To ask for forgiveness
You use perdonar when you or someone else is doing the forgiving. But if you want to talk about the act of asking rather than forgiving, you’ll need to use the verb pedir (to ask) and the noun perdón (pardon, forgiveness).
For example:
Ella me pidió perdón ayer. (She asked me for forgiveness yesterday.)
La voy a pedir perdón mañana. (I’m going to ask her for forgiveness tomorrow.)
14. Estar arrepentido — To be sorry
Context: To express the state of feeling sorry or repentant
Estar, of course, means “to be.” Arrepentido is the participle form of arrepentir (to repent), so it literally means “repentant” as an adjective.
Él no está arrepentido de lo que hizo. (He is not sorry for what he did.)
Podemos ser amigas de nuevo si tú estás arrepentida. (We can be friends again if you’re sorry.)
15. Disculparse — To apologize
Last but not least, we use the verb disculparse to say “to apologize.”
Note that disculparse is a reflexive verb, so you’ll need to use a pronoun to indicate who or what you’re apologizing to.
For example:
Necesitas disculparte con ella tan pronto como puedas. (You need to apologize to her as soon as you can.)
Estaba en mi trabajo cuando me disculpé. (I was at work when I apologized.)
Responses to an Apology
Now that you know how to say sorry in Spanish, it is also important to know how someone may respond. Here are some replies that you may hear (or that you may use if you are apologized to):
To drill in these responses (and all of the other apology vocabulary we’ve just learned), it’s a good idea to see and hear them used in different contexts.
This way, you’ll pick up on nuances like how they’re actually said and when exactly they’re used in different situations.
I recommend using a language learning program like FluentU. FluentU teaches you Spanish through immersion with authentic videos like movie clips, commercials, and inspiring talks.
The interactive subtitles let you hover over words you don’t know, so you can catch these “I’m sorry” phrases in action.
Apologies in Spanish vs. English
Despite what you might think, American and Spanish people apologize in very similar ways.
Both cultures apologize if they think they have done something wrong, and they both offer their condolences in sorrowful times like the death of a loved one.
There is a main difference in the way we use our words. English has different ways of apologizing, but “I’m sorry” is the main expression that can really be used in any situation.
As you’ve seen, Spanish has no such one-size-fits-all and uses different expressions depending on the context.
Learning how to say sorry in Spanish is not a complicated task if you follow a couple of conjugation and formal/informal rules.
You can learn these words and expressions and be ready to apologize in any situation that you may need to!
