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30 Ways to Say Sorry Around the World

By avatalks
9 min read (1,975 words)
30 ways to say sorry around the world

Sorry is one of the first words people look up in a new language, and for good reason.

You need it when you bump into someone, arrive late, make a mistake, misunderstand a question, or want to sound more polite in daily conversation. It is a small word, but it carries a lot of social meaning.

The interesting part is that not every language uses apology words in exactly the same way. In some places, the common phrase is close to “I’m sorry.” In others, it may feel more like “excuse me,” “forgive me,” or “I made a mistake.”

This guide gives you 30 ways to say sorry around the world in a simple, practical format. It is not a deep grammar lesson. It is a fast way to learn real apology words across many languages and notice a few cultural patterns along the way.

TL;DR

If you want the short version, here are a few of the most useful ones:

Some are better for serious apologies. Some are better for small everyday situations. That is part of what makes them interesting.

Why apology words are worth learning early

A lot of beginner vocabulary lists focus on greetings first, and that makes sense. But apology phrases are just as useful because they help you survive real interaction.

They help when you:

They also teach something deeper: politeness is not universal. Different languages organize respect in different ways.

If you are curious about one language in more detail, for example Korean, this topic also connects naturally with how to say sorry in Korean with cultural context.

30 ways to say sorry around the world

1. English — Sorry

Phrase: Sorry
Use: Everyday apology, small mistakes, quick politeness

English speakers use sorry constantly. It can mean:

That flexibility is one reason English learners hear it so often.

2. Spanish — Lo siento / Perdón

Phrases: Lo siento, Perdón
Use: Lo siento for real apologies, Perdón for smaller interruptions

If you step on someone’s foot, Perdón works well.
If you are apologizing more sincerely, Lo siento is stronger.

3. French — Désolé / Pardon

Phrases: Désolé / Désolée, Pardon
Use: Désolé for apology, Pardon for excuse me / sorry

French often separates the functions:

If the speaker is female, you often see désolée in writing.

4. German — Entschuldigung / Es tut mir leid

Phrases: Entschuldigung, Es tut mir leid
Use: Entschuldigung for excuse me / sorry, Es tut mir leid for stronger apology

German has a useful distinction here:

5. Italian — Mi dispiace / Scusa

Phrases: Mi dispiace, Scusa / Scusi
Use: Mi dispiace for sympathy or apology, Scusa for excuse me / sorry

6. Portuguese — Desculpa / Desculpe

Phrases: Desculpa, Desculpe
Use: apology or excuse me, with formality difference

This is one of those languages where formality matters a lot in everyday interaction.

7. Dutch — Sorry / Het spijt me

Phrases: Sorry, Het spijt me
Use: sorry for casual use, het spijt me for stronger apology

Dutch speakers often use sorry in casual speech, especially in modern everyday life.
Het spijt me is closer to “I’m sorry” in a fuller sense.

8. Swedish — Förlåt

Phrase: Förlåt
Use: sorry, excuse me, apology

This is the standard Swedish word most learners start with. It works in many situations, from small mistakes to real apologies.

9. Norwegian — Unnskyld / Beklager

Phrases: Unnskyld, Beklager
Use: Unnskyld for excuse me / sorry, Beklager for stronger apology

A useful rough rule:

10. Danish — Undskyld

Phrase: Undskyld
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is the everyday Danish apology word and a very useful survival phrase.

11. Finnish — Anteeksi

Phrase: Anteeksi
Use: sorry, excuse me, pardon

Finnish uses anteeksi in a very practical way. It can help you apologize, interrupt politely, or ask someone to repeat something.

12. Polish — Przepraszam

Phrase: Przepraszam
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is the key Polish apology word. It is one of those high-value travel phrases that does a lot of work in daily life.

13. Czech — Promiňte / Promiň

Phrases: Promiňte, Promiň
Use: polite and informal forms

Like many European languages, Czech marks social distance through the form you choose.

14. Hungarian — Bocsánat / Sajnálom

Phrases: Bocsánat, Sajnálom
Use: Bocsánat for excuse me / sorry, Sajnálom for “I’m sorry”

This is another nice split:

15. Greek — Συγγνώμη

Phrase: Συγγνώμη
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is the main Greek apology word and one of the most useful polite expressions to know.

16. Turkish — Özür dilerim / Pardon

Phrases: Özür dilerim, Pardon
Use: özür dilerim for apology, pardon for excuse me

You can already see a repeating pattern across languages: one form for serious apology, another for quick social repair.

17. Russian — Извините / Прости

Phrases: Извините, Прости
Use: polite and informal forms

Russian learners should notice the social difference here early.

18. Ukrainian — Вибачте / Пробач

Phrases: Вибачте, Пробач
Use: polite and informal apology

Again, there is a useful distinction:

19. Arabic — آسف / آسفة / عفوًا

Phrases: آسف, آسفة, عفوًا
Use: apology and excuse-me style use

Arabic is broad and regional, so usage can vary, but these are useful starting points.

20. Hebrew — סליחה

Phrase: סליחה
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is one of those very practical words that can cover both apology and polite interruption.

21. Persian — ببخشید / متأسفم

Phrases: ببخشید, متأسفم
Use: bebakhshid for excuse me / pardon, mota’assefam for “I’m sorry”

A familiar pattern appears again:

22. Hindi — माफ़ कीजिए / सॉरी

Phrases: माफ़ कीजिए, सॉरी
Use: formal apology and common casual borrowing

That blend of native phrase plus English borrowing is common in many languages today.

23. Bengali — দুঃখিত / মাফ করবেন

Phrases: দুঃখিত, মাফ করবেন
Use: apology and polite excuse-me style use

These forms can vary by tone and situation, but both are useful beginner-level ways to express apology or politeness.

24. Thai — ขอโทษ

Phrase: ขอโทษ
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is the main Thai apology word and an essential phrase for learners and travelers.

25. Vietnamese — Xin lỗi

Phrase: Xin lỗi
Use: sorry, excuse me

This is one of the most important Vietnamese politeness phrases and appears in many daily situations.

26. Indonesian — Maaf

Phrase: Maaf
Use: sorry, excuse me, forgiveness

This is a very useful all-purpose apology word in Indonesian and one of the first polite expressions many learners study.

27. Japanese — ごめんなさい / すみません

Phrases: ごめんなさい, すみません
Use: gomen nasai for apology, sumimasen for sorry / excuse me / thank you in some contexts

Japanese is especially interesting here.

That kind of overlap teaches a lot about how politeness works in Japanese.

28. Korean — 죄송합니다 / 미안해요

Phrases: 죄송합니다, 미안해요
Use: formal and everyday apology

Korean learners need to notice speech level quickly, because apology language changes with formality.

For a deeper guide, see how to say sorry in Korean with cultural context.

29. Mandarin Chinese — 对不起 / 不好意思

Phrases: 对不起, 不好意思
Use: apology vs embarrassment / polite social sorry

That difference matters in real conversation.

30. Swahili — Samahani

Phrase: Samahani
Use: sorry, excuse me, pardon

This is the core Swahili apology word and a very practical everyday phrase.

What these apology phrases have in common

Even though the words look very different, a few patterns appear again and again.

1. Many languages separate small sorry from serious sorry

You can see that in:

2. Formality matters a lot

In many languages, apologizing to:

may require different wording.

3. “Sorry” often overlaps with “excuse me”

That happens in many languages, including:

That overlap is useful to notice because it tells you apology language is not only about guilt. It is also about social smoothness.

Which apology words are best for travelers?

If you only want travel-level survival phrases, focus on words that can do more than one job.

Some especially practical ones are:

These often help with both apology and polite interruption.

How to learn these faster

Trying to memorize 30 apology words as one giant list is not the best method.

A better way is to group them by function.

Group 1: excuse me / everyday sorry

Group 2: stronger apology

Group 3: polite vs informal pairs

That makes the system easier to remember.

FAQ

Is there one universal way to say sorry in every language?

No. Many languages have more than one apology phrase depending on formality, seriousness, or whether you mean “excuse me” instead of “I’m sorry.”

Do some languages use apology words more often than others?

Yes. Some cultures use apology-style phrases very frequently in daily interaction, while others may sound more direct or use different politeness strategies.

Is “excuse me” the same as “sorry” in many languages?

Often yes, at least partly. In many languages, the most common everyday apology word also covers interruption, politeness, or asking someone to move.

What should beginners learn first?

Start with the most common everyday phrase, then learn the stronger apology form later.

Final thoughts

Learning 30 ways to say sorry around the world is not just a fun language list.

It shows you something important: politeness is built differently in different languages, but the human need is the same. People everywhere need a way to repair small social moments, show respect, and admit mistakes.

That is why apology words are worth learning early.

They are short.
They are useful.
And they often teach more culture than people expect.

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