How to Say “Sorry” in Spanish

Ways to say it

Spanish uses different words for 'sorry' depending on whether you are expressing deep regret, apologizing for a minor mistake or trying to get someone's attention. Lo siento is used to express genuine empathy or regret for a situation. Perdón is typically used for minor social transgressions, such as bumping into someone or as an interjection to ask someone to repeat what they said, similar to 'Pardon?' in English.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase lo siento literally translates to 'I feel it'.

Which one should you use?

While lo siento expresses empathy or regret, perdón is better suited for quick apologies or for asking someone to repeat themselves. For instance, use perdón if you bump into someone, but use lo siento if you are expressing sympathy for someone's misfortune.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For formal situations, use disculpe to say 'excuse me' or 'pardon me' when addressing a stranger or someone of higher status. A more respectful version of the word 'perdón' is Perdóneme. In informal settings, disculpa is used for 'excuse me' or 'sorry' when speaking with friends, family or peers. Disculpa can also be used to say 'apologies'. The colloquial term ¡Perdona! can be used to say 'forgive me'.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Mexico, the expression perdóneme la molestia is used when you are referring to a significant inconvenience or disturbance caused by your own actions. In Spain, perdóname is used in informal settings when you want to ask for forgiveness personally.

Related words

Grieved, saddened (adj): apenado.

Poor, regrettable (adj): pobre.

How does it change in a sentence?

When you want to express regret for a specific action using lo siento, you can follow the phrase with por and a noun or an infinitive, such as Lo siento por el retraso (I'm sorry for the delay).

How do you pronounce it?

/lo ˈsjento/