lo siento
/lo ˈsjento/
In Spanish, "I am sorry" is expressed as lo siento.
lo siento is a common way to say "I am sorry" in Spanish. It is used to apologize for a mistake or to show sympathy for someone's misfortune.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase lo siento literally translates to "I feel it".
Which one should you use?
While lo siento is used to express sympathy or regret for a mistake, perdón is more commonly used for minor interruptions or to ask for forgiveness in the moment, often translating to "pardon" or "excuse me".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, perdón is widely used as a common way to say "I am sorry". In Spain, it is common to use disculpe to apologize formally and disculpa to apologize informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase lo siento uses the first-person singular present indicative of the verb sentir (to feel).
How do you pronounce it?
/lo ˈsjento/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly try to translate "I am sorry" literally as soy lo siento. However, lo siento is a complete verbal phrase on its own.
Did you know?
- Because lo siento literally translates to 'I feel it', using it to apologize for a minor accident like bumping into someone can actually sound more intense than intended. It is more common to use disculpa for physical accidents to avoid sounding like you are mourning a deep tragedy.
- The pronoun lo in lo siento descends from the Latin word illud, which originally meant 'that' or 'that one'.
- While English uses 'sorry' for both an apology and sympathy, Spanish speakers may use mi pésame specifically for the death of a loved one instead of lo siento.
Examples in context
- Lo siento. No soy de aquí.I am sorry. I am not from here.This example shows how to use lo siento to state that you are not from a specific place.Tatoeba #1564506 by teskmon, translation #1153960 by belgavox
- Lo siento, no puedo ayudarte.I am sorry I cannot help you.This example uses lo siento to express an inability to help.Tatoeba #2417636 by Shishir, translation #2442393 by jivago
- Lo siento, él no está en casa. Se fue a Madrid ayer.I am sorry, he is not at home, he left for Madrid yesterday.This example uses lo siento to apologize because someone is not at home.Tatoeba #10046573 by manufrutos, translation #7772864 by sharris123
- Lo siento mucho por el retraso en la entrega del informe. Fue un error de mi parte.I am very sorry for the delay in delivering the report. It was my mistake.
- Le pido disculpas por no haber asistido a la reunión. Surgieron circunstancias imprevistas.I apologize for not attending the meeting. Unforeseen circumstances came up.
- Perdóneme por mi comentario inapropiado. No fue mi intención ofender.Forgive me for my inappropriate comment. It was not my intention to offend.
- Lo siento mucho por haberte cancelado a último momento. Ojalá pueda compensártelo.I am really sorry for canceling on you at the last minute. Hopefully, I can make it up to you.
- Disculpa si llegué tarde. El tráfico estuvo caótico hoy.Sorry if I arrived late. Traffic was chaotic today.
- Perdona que me olvidara de llamarte. Tuve un día muy ocupado.Forgive me for forgetting to call you. I had a very busy day.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro accidentally spills some water on Elena's table.
- AlejandroLo siento, Elena. No fue mi intención.I am sorry, Elena. It was not my intention.
- ElenaNo pasa nada, Alejandro. Está bien.It's nothing, Alejandro. It's okay.
- AlejandroLo siento mucho. Déjame ayudarte a limpiar.I am very sorry. Let me help you clean.
- ElenaGracias, pero yo puedo hacerlo.Thank you, but I can do it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lo siento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, lo siento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
