Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| извини́те | izviníte | formal |
| извини́ | izviní | informal |
| прости́те | prostíte | formal |
| прости́ | prostí | informal |
Russian speakers use different words depending on whether they want to get someone's attention or ask for forgiveness. извини́те is a common way to say 'I'm sorry' and is frequently used as 'excuse me' when you need to pass someone in a crowded space or get a stranger's attention. прости́те means 'forgive me' and is used when you are asking for forgiveness for a mistake. For a more serious or highly formal sense of regret, you can use the phrase Приношу извинения, which translates to 'I apologize'.
What does it mean word for word?
извини́те is the imperative form of the verb извини́ть, which means 'to excuse'. прости́те is the imperative form of the verb прости́ть, which means 'to forgive'.
Which one should you use?
The forms starting with 'изв-' like извини́те are often used to mean 'excuse me' to get someone's attention, whereas прости́те leans more towards asking for forgiveness for a mistake.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The words извини́те and прости́те are formal. The shorter forms without the '-те' ending, извини́ and прости́, are used only with friends, family or children.
How do you pronounce it?
izviníte
Did you know?
- While English speakers often use 'sorry' to express sympathy, like 'I am sorry for your loss', using these Russian forms in that context would sound like you are apologizing for the death itself. Russian requires entirely different structures for sympathy.
- In Russia, if you bump into someone and say извини́те, the other person might reply with ничего страшного, which literally means 'nothing scary'.
- While прости́те means 'forgive me', the root прости́ is also found in the word for 'sheet' or 'bedsheet' просты́ня. Both words originate from the idea of 'stretching out' or 'spreading'.
Examples in context
- Извините, я нечаянно вас заделI'm sorry, I accidentally bumped into you.
- Прости, я опоздалSorry, I'm late.
- Приношу извинения за свою ошибкуI apologize for my mistake.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm sorry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
