beklager
/bəˈklɑːɡəɾ/
In Norwegian, the English phrase sorry can be expressed as beklager. Wiktionary also lists unnskyld.
Meaning: expression of regret or sorrow (intj)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| beklager | /bəˈklɑːɡəɾ/ |
| unnskyld | /ˈʉnːˌʃʏl(d)/ |
Beklager is the most common and neutral way to say sorry in Norwegian. It is used to express genuine regret or to apologize for a situation, such as a mistake or a lack of stock.
Which one should you use?
Beklager translates more closely to 'I apologize' or 'I'm sorry' and is used for more formal or situational apologies, whereas unnskyld is another way to express the sentiment.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you follow beklager with a clause, use the conjunction at to mean 'sorry that'. For example, beklager at…
How do you pronounce it?
/bəˈklɑːɡəɾ/
Did you know?
- The word unnskyld literally means 'pardon' or 'exempt', coming from the root skyld meaning 'debt' or 'guilt'.
- In Norwegian, beklager is a transitive verb, meaning you must technically 'apologize something' rather than just saying 'I am sorry'.
- While unnskyld is used for 'sorry', it is also the standard way to say 'excuse me' when trying to get someone's attention or passing through a crowd.
Examples in context
- Beklager at jeg er sen.Sorry I'm late.This sentence shows how to use beklager to apologize for being late.Tatoeba #6364553 by RudeGuyGames, translation #808702 by ryanthewired
- Beklager, boken er utsolgt.Sorry, the book is out of stock.This sentence demonstrates using beklager to apologize for a book being out of stock.Tatoeba #2824539 by eirik174, translation #43918 by CM
- Beklager, men det er umulig.I'm sorry, but it's impossible.This sentence shows how to use beklager to express that something is impossible.Tatoeba #2881872 by eirik174, translation #269542 by CK
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristoffer and Emma are at a cafe and Kristoffer accidentally spilled some water.
- KristofferBeklager, jeg sølte vann på bordet.Sorry, I spilled water on the table.
- EmmaDet går helt fint, Kristoffer.It is completely fine, Kristoffer.
- KristofferJeg skal tørke det opp med en gang.I will wipe it up right away.
- EmmaTakk, det er veldig snilt av deg.Thank you, that is very kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorry” translations and entries beklager, unnskyld, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
