Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| anteeksi | /ˈɑnteːksi/ |
| sori | /ˈsori/ |
| olen pahoillani |
Finnish uses different words for 'sorry' depending on whether you are apologizing for a mistake, asking for attention or expressing deep sympathy. The standard term anteeksi serves as both an apology and a way to say 'excuse me' when you want to get someone's attention or move through a crowd. To express an apology for a specific action, you can use the construction anteeksi että… followed by a verb in the indicative mood. For more profound expressions of regret or sympathy, such as when hearing bad news, olen pahoillani is the appropriate choice.
Which one should you use?
anteeksi is the standard Finnish word used for apologies and for 'excuse me'. In contrast, sori is a colloquial loanword from English used in casual speech. While anteeksi handles minor mistakes, olen pahoillani is used for expressing deep regret or sympathy, such as for a personal loss.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'sorry that [something happened]', use the construction anteeksi että followed by a verb in the indicative mood.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɑnteːksi/
Did you know?
- The word anteeksi is built from an archaic word for 'gift', meaning to apologize is etymologically linked to the idea of 'giving' something.
- In Finnish, expressing sympathy for a tragedy requires the phrase olen pahoillani, whereas using anteeksi in that context would sound like you are apologizing for the tragedy itself.
Examples in context
- En osaa unkaria, sori.I don't understand Hungarian, sorry.This sentence shows the use of the colloquial sori.Tatoeba #8254056 by Orava, translation #3270946 by CN
- Anteeksi, en voi maksaa.Sorry. I can't pay.This sentence shows the use of anteeksi to apologize.Tatoeba #10359730 by Johannes_S, translation #9806528 by DJ_Saidez
- Anteeksi että löin sinua.I'm sorry I hit you.This sentence demonstrates using anteeksi että to apologize for a specific action.Tatoeba #5215798 by Orava, translation #2548207 by CK
- Anteeksi, että myöhästyin tapaamisesta.Sorry for being late to the meeting.
- Sori, en voinut auttaa sinua eilen.Sorry, I couldn't help you yesterday.
- Ei se mitään, ymmärrän.It's fine, I understand.
- 214 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mikko accidentally bumps into Sofia in a hallway.
- MikkoAnteeksi, törmäsin sinuun.Sorry, I bumped into you.
- SofiaEi se mitään, kaikki on hyvin.It is nothing, everything is fine.
- MikkoOlitko sä menossa kirjastoon?Were you going to the library?
- SofiaKyllä, olen menossa sinne nyt.Yes, I am going there now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorry” translations and entries anteeksi, sori, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anteeksi, sori, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
