آسف
ʾāsefto apologize, man speaking
A man says آسف (ʾāsef) and a woman says آسفة (ʾāsfe) to mean "I am sorry". To ask for forgiveness, use سامحني (sāmeḥni), "forgive me".
Meaning: apology (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| آسف | ʾāsef | to apologize, man speaking |
| آسفة | ʾāsfe | woman speaking |
| سامحني | sāmeḥni | forgive me |
Use آسف for a clear apology. For a small mistake like bumping into someone, معليش (maʿlēsh) is a lighter way to say "sorry, never mind".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Lebanon you will also hear the English "sorry", often mixed into Arabic sentences.
How does it change in a sentence?
سامحني is for asking one person for forgiveness. To a woman it becomes سامحيني (sāmeḥīni).
Did you know?
- معليش (maʿlēsh) means roughly "no matter", and Lebanese speakers use it to apologize lightly and to forgive someone else.
Examples in context
- آسف، ما انتبهتʾāsef, ma ntabahtI am sorry, I was not paying attention.
- آسفة على التأخيرʾāsfe ʿat-taʾkhīrI am sorry for being late.
- سامحني يا صاحبيsāmeḥni yā ṣāḥbiForgive me, my friend.
Example conversation
Adel arrives thirty minutes late to meet Tala at a café in Hamra.
- Adelآسف تأخرتʾāsef taʾakhkharetI am sorry I am late.
- Talaولو، معليش، تفضلwala, maʿlēsh, tfaḍḍalIt is fine, never mind, sit down.
- Adelسامحيني، كان في زحمةsāmeḥīni, kān fī zaḥmeForgive me, there was traffic.
