Which one should you use?
désolé pour is often used with nouns (e.g., désolé pour le retard). However, when expressing regret for an action (a verb), de is the preferred preposition, as seen in Je suis désolé de vous déranger (I am sorry to disturb you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal written or spoken French, instead of saying désolé pour, it is more elegant to use the phrase Je vous prie de m'excuser (I beg you to excuse me). Other formal options include Veuillez m'excuser (Please excuse me), Je vous présente toutes mes excuses (I offer you my apologies) or Je regrette sincèrement ce qui s'est passé (I sincerely regret what happened).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective désolé must agree in gender with the person speaking: add an e if the speaker is female. When followed by a verb in the infinitive, the preposition de is more standard and common than pour.
Did you know?
- The word désolé comes from the verb désoler, which originally meant to isolate or make someone lonely, reflecting a deeper sense of being 'devastated' than the English 'sorry'.
- In Quebec, you might hear Je m'excuse more frequently than in France, where the phrase is sometimes viewed as grammatically incorrect because one cannot excuse oneself.
- To avoid sounding like you are 'devastated' when you simply bumped into someone, French speakers often skip désolé entirely in favor of Pardon.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi pour mon retard à la réunion.Excuse me for my lateness to the meeting.
- Veuillez m'excuser, je comprends que mon retard a pu causer des désagréments.Please excuse me, I understand that my lateness may have caused inconveniences.
- Je suis désolée d'avoir oublié votre anniversaire.I am sorry for having forgotten your birthday.
- Je vous présente toutes mes excuses. Je n'aurais pas dû oublier un événement si important.I offer you my apologies. I should not have forgotten such an important event.
- Excuse-moi de t'avoir interrompu(e).Excuse me for having interrupted you.
- Désolé(e) pour le bruit que j'ai fait cette nuit.Sorry for the noise I made last night.
- Je suis désolé pour le retard.I am sorry for the delay.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking in a quiet library.
- GabrielJe suis désolé pour le bruit.I am sorry for the noise.
- ManonCe n'est pas grave, Gabriel.It is not a problem, Gabriel.
- GabrielMerci de ta compréhension, Manon.Thank you for your understanding, Manon.
- ManonDe rien, on peut continuer.You're welcome, we can continue.
