Whether you’ve said something without thinking, accidentally bumped into someone, or made an unfortunate mistake, knowing how to say ‘I’m sorry’ in English can be extremely useful. However, what happens when you go on holiday and find yourself in a situation where an apology is necessary in another language?
Thankfully, we have you covered! Below we’ve listed how to say ‘I’m sorry’ in an array of different languages in alphabetical order. Next time you find yourself in a tricky situation while abroad, you will know exactly what to say…
| Afrikaans | Jammer! |
| Albanian (Gheg) | M’fal! |
| Albanian (Tosk) | Më fal! |
| Arabic (Egyptian) |
m – (aasif) آسف! f – (aasifa) آسف! |
| Arabic (Lebanese) |
Esef (m) Esfe (f) 3afwan |
| Arabic (Modern Standard) |
(āsif!) أسف |
| Arabic (Moroccan) |
(aasif) اسف |
| Armenian (Eastern) |
Ներողությո’ւն: (Nerogh.utyun) Կներե’ք: (Knerek’) |
| Armenian (Western) |
Ներողութիւն (Neroghootyoon); Կը ներես (Guh neres) inf Կը ներէք: (Guh nerek) frm |
| Assamese | ক্ষমা কৰিব (khyôma kôribô) – frm ক্ষমা কৰিবা (khyôma kôriba) – inf |
| Azerbaijani | Bağışlayın Məni bağışlayın Üzr istəyirəm |
| Bavarian | Duad ma laid |
| Belarusian | Прабачце (Prabačcie) Выбачайце (Vybačajcie) |
| Bengali | দুঃখিত (dukkhito) মাফ করবেন (maf korben) |
| Bosnian | Oprostite |
| Bulgarian | Съжалявам! (Sãžaljavam) |
| Catalan | Perdó! Em sap greu |
| Chinese (Cantonese) |
對唔住 (deuim̀hjyuh) |
| Chinese (Hakka) |
失禮 (siit7li1) 歹勢 (dai-sii) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) |
對不起 [对不起] (duìbùqǐ) 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) |
| Chinese (Shanghainese) |
对弗起 (dēi fé qì) 勿好意思 (vak hao yi si) |
| Chinese (Taiwanese) |
失禮 (sit-lé) 歹勢 (pháiⁿ-sì/phái-sè) 對不起 (tùi-put-khí) |
| Croatian | Žao mi je Oprostite |
| Czech | Pardon! Promiň! (inf) Odpusť mi to (inf) Odpusťte mi to (frm) |
| Danish | Undskyld! |
| Dutch | Het spijt me! Sorry! |
| Estonian | Vabandust |
| Finnish | Anteeksi |
| French | Désolé ! Je suis désolé ! Excusez-moi ! Je m’excuse ! Pardon ! Oh, pardon, excusez-moi ! Je vous demande pardon |
| Georgian | ბოდიში bodishi ვწუხვარ (vts’ukhvar) |
| German | Es tut mir leid! Entschuldigung! Ich bedaure! |
| Greek (Ancient) | Συγγνώμην ἔχε (Syngnōmēn ékhe) |
| Greek (Modern) | Συγνώμη! (Sygnómi) Λυπάμαι! (Lypáme [lit. “I’m saddened”]) – more frm |
| Greenlandic | Utoqqatsissutigaa Patsit Utoqqatserpunga |
| Hawaiian | E kala mai iaʻu! |
| Hebrew | (Slicha) סליחה! |
| Hindi | क्षमा कीजिए (kṣama kījiye) माफ़ कीजिये (māf kījiye) |
| Hungarian | Bocsánat! |
| Icelandic | Því miður Fyrirgefðu Mér þykir það leitt |
| Indonesian | Maafkan saya Maaf |
| Irish (Gaelic) | Gabh mo leithscéal! Tá brón orm! |
| Italian | Scusa! (inf) Scusi! (frm) Mi dispiace |
| Jamaican | Hush |
| Japanese | ごめんなさい! (gomen nasai) |
| Kazakh | Кешіріңіз! (Keşiriñiz!) |
| Khmer | សុំទោស (sŏm toŭs) |
| Kiribati | Kabara au bure |
| Korean | 미안합니다! (mianhamnida) – frm 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) – vfrm 미안(해) (mian(hae)) – inf |
| Lao | ຂໍໂທດ (khãw thôht) |
| Latin | Ignosce mihi! |
| Latvian | Piedodiet! (frm) Piedo! (inf) Atvainojiet! (frm) Atvaino! (inf) |
| Lithuanian | Atsiprašau! Atleiskite! |
| Macedonian | Жалам (Zhalam) Жал ми е (Zhal mi e) Извинете (Izvinete) – frm Извини (Izvini) – inf |
| Malay | Ma’af Minta maaf (asking for forgiveness) Tolong maafkan saya (‘please forgive me’) |
| Maldivian | (Ma’aaf kurey) މަޢާފް ކުރޭ |
| Maltese | Skużani! Jiddispjaċini! Ahfirli! |
| Māori | Arohaina mai Mō Taku Hē |
| Marathi | माफ करा (māf karā) |
| Mongolian | Уучлаарай (Uuchlaarai) |
| Nepali | माफ गनुस् (maapha ganus) |
| Norwegian | Unnskyld, Beklager |
| Pashto | (zeh mutaasif yum) زه هتاسف يم |
| Persian (Farsi) | (moteassefam) متاسفم! |
| Polish | Przepraszam! |
| Portuguese | Desculpe! (frm) Desculpa! (inf) |
| Portuguese (Brazilian) | Me desculpe! (frm) Desculpa! Desculpe-me! Lamento! Sinto muito! Sinto mutíssimo! (I’m so sorry!) Desculpe Perdão |
| Punjabi | ਖਿਮਾ/ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰੋ ਜੀ। / معاف کرو جی۔ (kimā/māf karō jī) |
| Romanian | Pardon! |
| Russian | Простите! (Prostite!) – frm Прости! (Prosti!) – inf |
| Samoan | Fa’amalie atu |
| Serbian | Жао ми је (Žao mi je) Опростите (Oprostite) |
| Sicilian | M’â scusari Mi scusassi M’av’a scusari (frm) Scusàtimi (pl) M’avit’a scusari (pl) |
| Slovak | Pardón! |
| Slovenian | Oprostite (frm) Oprosti (inf) |
| Somali | Waan ka xumahay |
| Spanish | ¡Perdón! ¡Perdone! ¡Lo siento! |
| Swahili | Samahani |
| Swedish | Förlåt! |
| Tajik | Мебахшед (Mebaxšed) |
| Tamil (formal) | என்னை மன்னிக்க வேண்டும் (ennai manniththu vidungal) [ml] [fm] |
| Tamil (informal) | என்ன மன்னிச்சிடுங்க (enna maniichudunga) [fm] |
| Thai | ขอโทษ (kŏr tôht) |
| Tibetan | ཀོང་དགས་། (gong-da) |
| Tongan | Fakamolemole |
| Turkish | Pardon (inf) Özür dilerim (frm) |
| Ukrainian | Вибачте! (Vybačte) |
| Urdu | (maf karna) معاف کرنا |
| Uzbek | Afu eting |
| Vietnamese | Xin lỗi |
| Welsh | Mae’n ddrwg ‘da fi (SW) Mae’n ddrwg gen i (NW) Sori |
Other ways to say ‘I’m sorry’
If you can’t remember or haven’t yet learned how to say I’m sorry in a different language, there are other gestures you can adopt. One such gesture that always goes down well is sending flowers as an apology. Choose his or her favorite blooms or opt for something generic. Alternatively, you could opt for a plant that requires a limited amount of care and attention, as that should last for a lot longer if cared for correctly.
A number of online florists even offer same and next day delivery services, meaning you can send your blooms as soon as possible. Certain florists also offer letterbox flowers that are delivered in boxes that will fit through the recipient’s door – meaning they don’t even need to be at home when the delivery happens.
Source: termcoord.eu
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