Which one should you use?
While perdón por no responder is a standard way to apologize, you can use the more emotive siento no haber respondido to express a deeper sense of regret. To emphasize that the failure to reply happened specifically in the past, you can use the infinitive perfect haber respondido instead of the simple infinitive responder.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, such as when apologizing to a client, a boss or someone you do not know well, use disculpe por no responder. Other formal options include Discúlpeme por no haber contestado (I apologize for not having replied), Le pido disculpas por no haber respondido antes (I ask for your forgiveness for not having replied earlier), Perdóneme por mi falta de respuesta (Please forgive me for not replying) and Lamento no haber contestado a tiempo (I regret not having replied on time). In informal settings, you can use Perdón por no haber contestado, Disculpa por no haber respondido, Lo siento por no haberte contestado antes or No quise ignorarte, disculpa por no contestar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations exist: in Mexico, you might hear Perdona por no haber respondido instead of Perdón por no haber contestado. In Argentina, the phrase Disculpa por no haber respondido can be changed to Perdón por no haber contestado. In Spain, Lo siento por no haberte contestado antes can be replaced with Perdona por no haberte respondido antes.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾdon poɾ no ɾespondeɾ/
Did you know?
- The word perdón shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'donation', as both come from the Latin word dōnō, meaning 'to give'.
- The word responder has a hidden linguistic quirk where its expected spelling change, known as diphthongization, is actually preserved in the Asturian language as respuendo.
- The noun perdón is linguistically a 'deverbal' form, meaning it is a noun that was directly created from the action of the verb perdonar.
Examples in context
- Disculpa por no haber respondido antes. Tuve algunos problemas técnicos con mi teléfono, pero quiero que sepas que valoro tu mensaje y siempre respondo lo más rápido posible. ¡Gracias por tu comprensión!Sorry for not replying earlier. I had some technical issues with my phone, but I want you to know that I value your message and always strive to respond as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding!
- Perdón por no responder a tu mensaje.Sorry for not replying to your message.
- Perdón por no responder antes, estaba muy ocupado.Sorry for not replying sooner, I was very busy.
- Perdón por no responder tu correo electrónico.Sorry for not replying to your email.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are chatting on the phone after a long silence.
- LucíaHola Daniel, perdón por no responder ayer.Hi Daniel, sorry for not replying yesterday.
- DanielNo te preocupes, Lucía, entiendo perfectamente.Don't worry, Lucía, I understand perfectly.
- Lucía¿Estás libre para hablar ahora?Are you free to talk now?
- DanielSí, dime, te escucho.Yes, tell me, I'm listening.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, perdón, por, responder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
