perdón por eso
/peɾdon poɾ eso/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'sorry about that' can be translated into Spanish as perdón por eso.
perdón por eso is an appropriate way to apologize for minor social blunders, such as making a small mistake in a conversation or bumping into someone. It is used to express regret for a minor inconvenience or mistake caused to someone else.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, perdón por eso means 'pardon for that'. It is composed of perdón (pardon/forgiveness), por (for/because of) and eso (that).
Which one should you use?
While perdón por eso is used for minor mistakes or inconveniences, lo siento is used to express deeper empathy or regret for a situation. If you are apologizing for a specific event or thing rather than a general 'that', you can use perdón por lo de… followed by the noun or event.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾdon poɾ eso/
Did you know?
- While 'sorry' in English can be used to express condolences at a funeral, using perdón in such a context would be an error, as it implies you are personally responsible for the death.
- The word perdón shares an ancient root with the English word 'donation', as both trace back to the idea of giving or granting something.
- In many cultures, a common reply to perdón por eso is no pasa nada, which literally claims that 'nothing is happening' to signal that no harm was done.
Examples in context
- Perdón por eso, olvidé traer el libro.Sorry about that, I forgot to bring the book.
- Si te molesté, perdón por eso.If I bothered you, sorry about that.
Example conversation
Javier accidentally spilled some water on the table.
- Javier¡Uy! Derramé un poco de agua, perdón por eso.Oops! I spilled some water, sorry about that.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, Javier, no pasa nada.Don't worry, Javier, it's nothing.
- JavierDéjame limpiar la mesa rápidamente.Let me clean the table quickly.
- LucíaEstá bien, yo te ayudo, Lucía.That's fine, I'll help you, Lucía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eso, perdón, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
