förlåt
[ˌfœ̞ˈɭoːt]
The Swedish word for 'sorry' is förlåt.
Förlåt is the standard way to apologize to friends, family or peers when you have done something wrong or want to express regret. You can use it to apologize specifically for your behavior by saying Förlåt för mitt beteende.
Meaning: expression of regret or sorrow (intj)
Which one should you use?
Förlåt is used to express personal regret or to ask for forgiveness. In contrast, ursäkt is a more formal way to offer a polite apology for a minor social transgression or to say 'excuse'. If you need to get someone's attention or pass through a crowd, use ursäkta mig (excuse me) instead of förlåt, as förlåt implies you are apologizing for a mistake that has already occurred.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Förlåt functions both as an interjection meaning 'sorry' and as the imperative form of the verb förlåta, meaning 'forgive'.
Did you know?
- While förlåt is used for mistakes, Swedish has no single word that perfectly matches the English 'sorry' when expressing sympathy, such as saying 'I am sorry for your loss'.
- The word förlåt is a linguistic calque, meaning it was modeled directly after the Middle Low German word vorlat during the 16th century.
- The verb förlåta comes from the prefix för and the root låta, which means 'to let'. To forgive is literally 'to let go' of the grievance.
Examples in context
- Förlåt för i går.I'm sorry about yesterday.This example shows how to use förlåt to apologize for something that happened in the past.Tatoeba #3829852 by herrsilen, translation #2021211 by Spamster
- Förlåt, jag tror inte att jag kan.I'm sorry, I don't think I can.This example shows using förlåt to express an inability to do something.Tatoeba #5260808 by Blurk, translation #5266031 by Cithara
- Förlåt, men jag hör dig inte så bra.I'm sorry, but I can't hear you well.This example shows using förlåt to apologize for a difficulty in hearing someone.Tatoeba #421455 by morbrorper, translation #56377 by CK
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oscar and Alice are talking after a small argument.
- OscarFörlåt för att jag var så sur.Sorry for being so grumpy.
- AliceDet är okej, Oscar.It is okay, Oscar.
- OscarJag ska försöka bättra mig.I will try to improve.
- AliceTack, det uppskattar jag.Thank you, I appreciate that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorry” translations and entries förlåt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries förlåt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
