Understanding how to express “I’m sorry” in Spanish is essential when mastering the language. Equipping yourself with various expressions is beneficial as it allows you to demonstrate your manners by apologising appropriately when necessary.
At times, Spanish learners mistakenly use lo siento (I’m sorry) in situations where a lighter term would suffice. These lighter terms convey more of an “excuse me” sentiment, and it’s crucial to discern the difference to use them appropriately.
In this post, we’ll delve into the six primary ways of expressing “I’m sorry” in Spanish and outline how to use them effectively based on the circumstances and the severity of the situation.
Lo siento
Translation: I’m sorry, I’m sorry about (it)
Although lo siento literally translates to I feel it in English, it means I’m sorry in Spanish. It is mainly applied in more serious situations and to give sincere apologies such as when you hurt someone’s feelings, you have regret, or made a serious mistake. Lo siento mucho can be said to express the magnitude of your apology because the word mucho translates to a lot.
On that same note, lo siento can also be used to sympathise with someone such as when they are mourning the death of a loved one. For this situation, you would say Siento mucho su pérdida which translates to I’m sorry for your loss.
It’s common for Spanish learners to make mistakes using lo siento because although it’s mainly used for serious situations, it occasionally works with some lighter situations and minor incidents. For example, a waitress can say Lo siento, ya no tenemos hamburguesas (I’m sorry, we no longer have hamburgers). However, in this context, the waitress is expressing a sincere apology.
Since using lo siento for minor incidents can be unwise, it’s best to stick to using perdón and disculpa.
Note: The lo in lo siento is a direct object pronoun that refers to “it” or the thing you are sorry about. The phrase translates to I’m sorry about it.
When someone says lo siento, you can respond with te perdono (I forgive you), or estás disculpado (you are forgiven).
Disculpa / Disculpas
Translation: excuse me, I’m sorry, apologies
In contrast to lo siento, disculpa has two meanings, excuse me and I’m sorry. The I’m sorry is used to apologise in light situations such as bumping into someone or in situations that are not a big deal or are mostly an inconvenience. An example would be, Disculpa que llegué tarde. Había mucho tráfico. (I’m sorry I’m late. There was a lot of traffic.)
As mentioned above, it also means excuse me and it can be applied to interrupt someone or in scenarios where you need to ask for something. An example is when calling the waiter over to you to ask “Excuse me, can I get more water please?” You would say, Disculpe, me podría dar más agua por favor?
Tip: Adding the s at the end of the word is equivalent to saying “apologies.” Mis disculpas translates to my apologies. You can also say mil disculpas to magnify how sorry you are because it literally translates to a thousand apologies. In English, the closest translation would be sincere apologies.
Some ways to respond include No pasa nada (No worries), No te preocupes (Don’t worry about it), or Está bien (It’s ok)
Discúlpame / Discúlpeme
Translation: forgive me, my apologies, I’m sorry
Whereas disculpa is a light version of I’m sorry and excuse me, the expression discúlpame is most often used for more serious situations to offer sincere and proper apologies. Some examples would be arriving late to an important meeting, apologising ahead of time because you will miss an important event, or accidentally saying something you weren’t supposed to.
In Spanish, we have two ways of addressing someone directly, tú and usted. Depending on who you’re addressing, the verb changes. Tú is informal and is used mainly with friends and people you know. In this situation, you would apologise using the word discúlpame.
Usted is formal and is used to address someone in formal situations. This could be your boss or someone to whom you wish to show respect. In this situation, you would use discúlpeme.
iPor favor discúlpeme por llegar tarde a la reunión! No vuelve a pasar.
Please excuse me for arriving late to the meeting! It won’t happen again.
Perdón
Translation: pardon me, I’m sorry
Perdón is the most common way of saying sorry in Spanish and is used the same way as disculpa. It’s also used in light situations such as elbowing someone accidentally or when you interrupt a conversation without wanting to.
In addition to I’m sorry, perdón also translates to pardon me or excuse me. This word can be used to excuse yourself when burping, when you need to interrupt a conversation, or to pass between people talking.
¿Perdón, dónde puedo encontrar un hospital?
Excuse me, where can I find a hospital?
Perdóname / Perdóneme
Translation: forgive me, pardon me
Perdóname is very similar to discúlpame. This word directly addresses someone to ask for forgiveness. It translates to forgive me or pardon me. It can be applied in more serious situations and for sincere apologies.
Depending on whom you are addressing, you would use perdóneme as a formal expression and perdóname in informal contexts. This is similar to using discúlpame and discúlpeme.
Espero que puedas perdonarme por olvidar tu cumpleaños.
I hope you can forgive me for forgetting your birthday.
Lo lamento
Translation: I’m sorry (about it), I regret (it)
The Spanish verb lamentar translates to lament and to regret and is mostly used in contexts that are a bigger deal and serious situations. It can be applied when you lament something and want to apologise sincerely, such as not being able to attend a person’s wedding or accidentally sharing a secret.
The expression is also similar to lo siento, in that you can use it to express sympathy or show your support. To give someone your condolences – I’m sorry for your loss” – you can say Lamento mucho su pérdida.
Note: Similar to lo siento, the lo is a direct object pronoun that refers to “it” or the specific thing you are sorry about. To say you are very sorry, use the phrase Lo lamento mucho.
Some ways to use lamento include:
- Lamento mucho haberme olvidado tu cumpleaños. (I’m very sorry to have forgotten your birthday.)
- Lamento mucho tu pérdida. (I’m very sorry for your loss.)
- Lo lamento. (I’m sorry about it.)
- Lamentamos informar que el vuelo fue cancelado. (We regret to inform you that your flight was cancelled.)
Quick Review
To make it a little easier to remember, here is a quick review of how to say “I’m sorry” in Spanish. Use lo siento, lo lamento, perdóname, and discúlpame for serious apologies. Use perdón and disculpa to excuse yourself and for light apologies. Lastly, use lo siento and lo lamento to sympathise with someone or to give your condolences.
