How to Say “I Am Sorry” in Portuguese

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Desculpe
In Portuguese, Desculpe is the way to say "I am sorry".
These phrases are used to apologize for a mistake or to ask for forgiveness. However, if you are only saying "sorry" to get past someone in a crowd, you should use Com licença instead of Desculpe.

Which one should you use?

While Desculpe is used for apologies for actions or mistakes, Sinto muito is used to express deep sympathy or regret (like 'I am so sorry' for a loss). To express a deep regret, you can also use Lamento profundamente or offer sincere apologies with Peço desculpas sinceras.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Brazil, desculpe or me desculpe can be used for both formal and informal apologies instead of peço desculpa. In Portugal, lamento muito can be replaced with peço imensa desculpa to intensify the apology.

How does it change in a sentence?

The form Desculpa is the informal imperative used with friends or peers, whereas Desculpe is the formal version. Adding the pronoun -me to Desculpe makes the apology more explicit, meaning "Forgive me" or "Excuse me".

Did you know?

  • The word desculpe comes from the Latin 'culpa', which is the same root used in the English legal term 'culpable'.
  • While Desculpe is used for mistakes, Brazilians often use Foi mal in very casual settings among friends to say 'my bad'.
  • There is a distinct linguistic difference where Sinto muito literally translates to 'I feel much', showing that deep sympathy is expressed through feeling rather than asking for forgiveness.

Examples in context

  • Desculpe-me por perturbá-lo.
    I am sorry to trouble you.
    This sentence shows how to use Desculpe when apologizing for a disturbance.
    Tatoeba #1035713 by une_monica, translation #54311 by CC
  • Peço desculpa pelo atraso na entrega do relatório.
    I apologize for the delay in delivering the report.
  • Lamento muito pelo transtorno causado pela nossa falha no serviço.
    I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused by our service failure.
  • Desculpa-me por ter derrubado seu café.
    Forgive me for spilling your coffee.
  • Perdão por ter te magoado com as minhas palavras.
    Forgive me for hurting you with my words.
  • Desculpe o atraso.
    I am sorry for the delay.
  • Desculpe, eu não sabia.
    I am sorry, I didn't know.

Example conversation

Lucas accidentally bumped into Juliana in a crowded hallway.

  1. Lucas

    Desculpe, eu não vi você.
    I am sorry, I didn't see you.
  2. Juliana

    Tudo bem, Lucas.
    It's okay, Lucas.
  3. Lucas

    Você se machucou?
    Did you get hurt?
  4. Juliana

    Não, está tudo certo.
    No, everything is fine.

Sources

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Derek Jose
Derek JoseHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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