آسف
āsifeveryday, said by a man
The common way to say "sorry" in Saudi Arabia is آسف (āsif) when a man speaks and آسفة (āsifa) when a woman speaks. سامحني (sāmiḥnī), "forgive me", is warmer. It is also called معليش (maʿlēsh).
Meaning: apology (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| آسف | āsif | everyday, said by a man |
| معليش | maʿlēsh | casual |
| سامحني | sāmiḥnī | warm |
معليش (maʿlēsh), "never mind" or "excuse me", is used for small slips, for example bumping into someone, and is also said to calm the other person down.
Which one should you use?
Saudis often add a short religious phrase such as الله يسامحك (Allāh yisāmiḥak), "God forgive you", as the reply.
How does it change in a sentence?
آسف (āsif) agrees with the speaker, not the listener, so a woman says آسفة (āsifa).
Did you know?
- ولا يهمك (wa-lā yhimmak), "do not worry", is a very common reply to an apology in Saudi Arabic.
Examples in context
- سامحني، غلطتsāmiḥnī, ghalaṭtForgive me, I made a mistake.
- معليش، ما انتبهتmaʿlēsh, mā intabahtSorry, I did not notice.
Example conversation
Meshal arrives late to meet his friend Sultan at a cafe in Riyadh.
- Meshalآسف على التأخيرāsif ʿala t-taʾkhīrSorry for being late.
- Sultanولا يهمكwa-lā yhimmakDo not worry.
- Meshalسامحني، الزحمة قويةsāmiḥnī, az-zaḥma qawiyyaForgive me, the traffic is heavy.
