Ways to say it
| Tunisian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سامحني | samhini | to a man |
| سامحيني | samhiini | to a woman |
سامحني literally asks someone to forgive you, and it is the natural everyday way to apologise in Tunisia, whether for something small or something more serious.
What does it mean word for word?
سامحني is the imperative of سامح, 'to forgive', with the ending -ني, 'me', attached.
Which one should you use?
The ending changes with the gender of the person you are apologising to, سامحني to a man and سامحيني to a woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
سامحني/سامحيني works for both small, casual apologies and more sincere ones, the tone of voice carries the difference rather than the words themselves.
Is it said differently in some regions?
This way of apologising is shared across the Maghreb, with the same root used in Moroccan and Algerian Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ي before ني marks that a woman is being addressed, the same pattern seen in other Tunisian verbs directed at a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress in سامحني falls on the first syllable, 'SAM-hini'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Mixing up the ending for the person addressed is a simple, common slip, since only the middle of the word changes.
Did you know?
- سامحني turns an apology into a direct request for forgiveness, built from the same root used for formal pardons in Arabic.
- The gendered ending on سامحيني follows the same pattern found across many Tunisian verbs addressed to a woman.
Examples in context
- سامحني، تأخرت شوية.samhini, ta2akhart shwaya.Sorry, I'm a little late.
- سامحيني، ما فهمتش عليك.samhiini, ma fhemtesh 3alik.Sorry, I didn't understand you.
- سامحني برشا على هذا.samhini barsha 3la hedha.I am very sorry about this.
Example conversation
Rayen apologises to his friend Dorra for missing her call.
- Rayenسامحيني، ما شفتش المكالمة.samhiini, ma shoftesh el-mukalma.Sorry, I didn't see the call.
- Dorraما فماش مشكل، كان شي مهم؟ma fammesh mushkel, ken shi muhimm?No problem, was it something important?
- Rayenلا، حاجة عادية.la, hajja 3adiya.No, nothing special.
- Dorraباهي، نتكلموا توا.bahi, nitkallmu touwa.Okay, let's talk now.
