What does it mean word for word?
The phrase se me apagó el teléfono literally means "the phone turned itself off on me". This uses a reflexive structure to imply that the event happened to the speaker involuntarily, rather than the speaker performing the action.
Which one should you use?
You can use different words depending on how much you want to emphasize the battery or the device itself. In informal settings in Spain, using disculpa instead of perdón and móvil instead of teléfono is common.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to adjust the formality of this apology. For formal situations, you can say Disculpe, mi teléfono se descargó or Perdóneme, se me agotó la batería del móvil. For informal situations, you can say ¡Perdón! Se me murió el móvil or Disculpa, mi celular se quedó sin batería.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional vocabulary choices are important in Spanish. In Spain, the word móvil is commonly used for "phone" instead of celular. In Latin America, the verb descargar is often used instead of agotar when referring to the battery running out.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that the battery has been exhausted, you can use the phrase se me acabó la batería, which means "the battery ran out on me".
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Perdón, se me murió el móvil.Sorry, my phone died.
- Perdón por no contestar, se me apagó el teléfono.Sorry for not answering, my phone died.
- Perdón, se me apagó el teléfono en medio de la llamada.Sorry, my phone died in the middle of the call.
- Perdón, se me apagó el teléfono y no pude avisarte.Sorry, my phone died and I couldn't let you know.
- Perdón, se me apagó el teléfono por falta de batería.Sorry, my phone died because of low battery.
Example conversation
Javier arrives late to meet María.
- JavierHola María, perdón por llegar tarde.Hi Maria, sorry for arriving late.
- MaríaNo importa, pero no contestaste mis mensajes.It doesn't matter, but you didn't answer my messages.
- JavierPerdón, se me apagó el teléfono hace una hora.Sorry, my phone died an hour ago.
- MaríaEstá bien, Javier, no te preocupes.It's okay, Javier, don't worry.
