What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ขอ meaning to ask or request and โทษ meaning punishment, fault or sin, literally translating to 'to ask for forgiveness'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal situations, the standard way to say excuse me is to add polite particles, such as ขอโทษครับ/ค่ะ or you may use the more formal ขออภัยครับ/ค่ะ. For informal settings, adding นะ to the end makes the phrase ขอโทษนะ sound softer and more casual, suitable for friends or people of equal status. You can also use ขอโทษนิดนึง as a casual expression with close friends or in informal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
To be polite, speakers should add a gender-specific particle to the end of the phrase: male speakers should use ครับ (kráp) to say ขอโทษครับ and female speakers should use ค่ะ (kâ) to say ขอโทษค่ะ.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is kɔ̌ɔ-tôot.
Did you know?
- In very high-status contexts, such as speaking to royalty, a specialized version of ขอโทษ is used because standard polite particles like ครับ and ค่ะ are insufficient.
- In Thai culture, a smile often accompanies ขอโทษ even when the speaker is genuinely sorry, as smiling helps to reduce tension and maintain social harmony.
- The word โทษ in the phrase ขอโทษ carries a heavy weight, as it can refer to a 'sin' or a 'criminal offense' in legal or religious contexts.
Examples in context
- ขอโทษค่ะExcuse me.This sentence shows how to use ขอโทษ with a feminine polite particle.Tatoeba #8728870 by pastelite, translation #433504 by CK
- ขอโทษนะ ตอนนี้เวลาเท่าไหร่?Excuse me, what time is it?This sentence demonstrates using ขอโทษ to get someone's attention to ask a question.Tatoeba #8728863 by pastelite, translation #385392 by Mouseneb
- ขอโทษนะคะ คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้มั้ย? ได้ครับ นิดหน่อย"Excuse me, do you speak English?" "Yes. A little."This sentence shows using ขอโทษ to politely begin a question in a conversation.Tatoeba #4293620 by Spanger, translation #4293267 by Adelpa
- ขอโทษนิดนึง ที่มาถามคำถามที่แปลกๆSorry for asking such a strange question.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Teerapat is apologizing to Kanokwan for accidentally spilling water on her desk.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatขอโทษครับ ผมทำน้ำหกใส่kho thot khrap phom tham nam hok saiExcuse me, I spilled water on it.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanไม่เป็นไรค่ะคุณธีรภัทรmai pen rai kha khun theeraphatIt is okay, Teerapat.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatผมขอโทษจริงๆ นะครับphom kho thot ching ching na khrapI am really sorry.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanค่ะ อย่าคิดมากนะคะkha ya khit mak na khaIt is okay, don't worry about it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excuse me” translations and entries ขอโทษ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ขอโทษ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
