lo siento mucho
/lo sjento mut͡ʃo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'I am so sorry' is expressed as lo siento mucho.
This phrase is used to apologize deeply or to show sympathy for someone's misfortune.
Which one should you use?
lo siento mucho expresses deep regret or sympathy for a situation. It is not used to ask for forgiveness for a specific action, which is the role of words like perdón or disculpa. For even more emphasis than mucho, you can use the superlative form lo siento muchísimo to say 'I am so, so sorry'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase lo siento mucho is built from the base form lo siento, which is the standard way to say 'I am sorry' in Spanish.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to translate 'I am' literally by using estoy, resulting in the incorrect phrase estoy muy lo siento. Because lo siento is a verb phrase, it does not take a linking verb like 'to be'.
Did you know?
- While mucho and the English 'much' sound and mean the same thing, they are not related. English 'much' is more closely linked to the archaic Spanish word maño, which meant 'big'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying lo siento mucho during a funeral is often accompanied by a light touch on the arm or a soft hug to physically convey the 'feeling' of the phrase.
- The verb in lo siento literally means 'to feel it'. This means that when you apologize, you are telling the other person that you feel their pain or the weight of the situation.
Examples in context
- Lo siento mucho, no puedo asistir a tu fiesta. Algo urgente ha surgido.I'm really sorry, I can't attend your party. Something urgent has come up.
- Lo siento mucho, de verdad.I am so sorry, truly.
- Lo siento mucho por tu pérdida.I am so sorry for your loss.
- Lo siento mucho, no era mi intención.I am so sorry, it was not my intention.
Example conversation
Mateo tells Lucía that his dog passed away.
- LucíaLo siento mucho, Mateo.I am so sorry, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, Lucía, eres muy amable.Thank you, Lucía, you are very kind.
- LucíaSé que era tu mejor amigo.I know he was your best friend.
- MateoSí, lo era.Yes, he was.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, mucho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
