lo siento, no lo sabía
The English phrase "sorry, I didn't know" is translated into Spanish as lo siento, no lo sabía.
You can also use the variation perdón, no lo sabía to say "sorry, I didn't know" or "pardon, I didn't know."
What does it mean word for word?
The part lo siento literally translates to "I feel it", which is the standard way to express regret or sorrow in Spanish. The part no lo sabía means "I didn't know it".
Which one should you use?
While no lo sabía describes a state of not knowing, the alternative no lo supe would imply a specific moment of failing to find out or a sudden realization.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperfect tense sabía to indicate a continuous state of ignorance in the past, rather than a single point in time.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb saber used in no lo sabía is strictly for facts or information. If you 'didn't know' a person or a place, you would have to switch to the verb conocer.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying lo siento can be perceived as too heavy or dramatic for small mistakes. In these cases, perdón is preferred because it asks for forgiveness rather than expressing deep sorrow.
- A common gesture accompanying perdón, no lo sabía is a slight shrug or a palms-up gesture. This non-verbal cue emphasizes the lack of intent or knowledge behind the mistake.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, no sabía.Excuse me, I didn't know.
- Le pido disculpas, no tenía conocimiento sobre eso.I apologize, I had no knowledge about that.
- Perdona, no sabía.Sorry, I didn't know.
- Lo siento, no estaba al tanto.I'm sorry, I wasn't aware.
- Lo siento, no lo sabía, era una sorpresa.Sorry, I didn't know, it was a surprise.
- Lo siento, no lo sabía, pensaba que era otro día.Sorry, I didn't know, I thought it was another day.
Example conversation
Sofía accidentally takes Daniel's water bottle.
- SofíaPerdón, pensé que era mi botella.Sorry, I thought it was my bottle.
- DanielNo pasa nada, pero es la mía.It's okay, but it is mine.
- SofíaLo siento, no lo sabía.Sorry, I didn't know.
- DanielEstá bien, Sofía.It's fine, Sofía.
