ขอโทษ
kɔ̌ɔ-tôot/kʰɔː˩˩˦.tʰoːt̚˥˩/
The English word "sorry" is translated into Thai as ขอโทษ (kɔ̌ɔ-tôot).
ขอโทษ is used to express regret or sorrow for an action, functioning as an apology. It is also used as "excuse me" when you want to get someone's attention or pass by them. While ขอโทษ is used for apologizing for an action, it is different from เสียใจ, which is used to express the feeling of being sorry or sad about a situation, such as hearing bad news.
Meaning: expression of regret or sorrow (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ขอ (to ask/request) and โทษ (punishment/fault/offense), meaning "to ask for forgiveness".
How does it change in a sentence?
In polite conversation, you should add a particle to the end of the phrase: use ครับ (khrap) if you are male or ค่ะ (kha) if you are female. For example, ขอโทษครับ/ค่ะ means "I am sorry" in a polite manner.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kɔ̌ɔ-tôot.
Did you know?
- While ขอโทษ is used for mistakes, Thais use the word เกรงใจ (greng jai) to express a specific kind of 'sorry' for imposing on someone or causing them inconvenience. There is no single English word for this feeling.
- When saying ขอโทษ, Thais often perform the 'wai' gesture by pressing their palms together and bowing their head. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face, the more sincere or respectful the apology is.
- Because ขอโทษ literally means 'to ask for punishment', you are essentially asking the other person to penalize your mistake.
Examples in context
- ขอโทษที่มาสายSorry for being late.This sentence is useful for apologizing for being late using ขอโทษ.Tatoeba #8681612 by pastelite, translation #1528604 by erikspen
- ฉันขอโทษที่รบกวนคุณI'm sorry to have disturbed you.This sentence is useful for apologizing for a disturbance using ขอโทษ.Tatoeba #8817767 by pastelite, translation #53056 by CK
- ฉันขอโทษฉันอยู่นานไม่ได้I'm sorry, I can't stay long.This sentence is useful for apologizing for not being able to stay long using ขอโทษ.Tatoeba #8681585 by pastelite, translation #1541 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nicha apologizes to Thanakrit for accidentally breaking his pen.
- ณิชา Nichaฉันขอโทษที่ทำปากกาของคุณหักนะคะchan kho thot thi tham pak-ka khong khun hak na khaI am sorry for breaking your pen.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่เป็นไรครับ ผมไม่ได้โกรธmai pen rai khrap phom mai dai krotIt is okay, I am not angry.
- ณิชา Nichaขอโทษจริงๆ ค่ะ เดี๋ยวซื้อให้ใหม่นะkho thot ching ching kha diao sue hai mai naI am truly sorry, I will buy you a new one.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่ต้องลำบากขนาดนั้นก็ได้ครับmai tong lam-bak kha-nat nan ko dai khrapYou don't have to go to that much trouble.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorry” translations and entries ขอโทษ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ขอโทษ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
