vraiment désolé
The English phrase "very sorry" is translated into French as vraiment désolé.
vraiment désolé is an expression used to apologize deeply or to show strong regret for a mistake.
What does it mean word for word?
The word vraiment literally means really or truly, and it serves as the intensifier for désolé.
Which one should you use?
While très désolé is grammatically possible, vraiment désolé is more idiomatic and natural for expressing deep regret in French.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person speaking. A female speaker uses the feminine form vraiment désolée. If a group of men or a mixed group is apologizing, use the masculine plural form vraiment désolés. If a group of only women is apologizing, use the feminine plural form vraiment désolées.
Did you know?
- The word désolé comes from the Latin desolatus, meaning 'abandoned' or 'forsaken'.
- While an English speaker might say 'I am very sorry' for a minor accident, using vraiment désolé for a small slip can sometimes sound overly dramatic to a French person.
- While vraiment désolé is used for deep regret, French speakers often use the word pardon as a 'social lubricant' to navigate crowded spaces or interrupt someone without actually feeling sorry.
Examples in context
- Je suis vraiment désolé.I'm very sorry.Tatoeba #460765 by sacredceltic, translation #275979 by CK
- Je me sens vraiment désolé pour lui.I feel very sorry for him.Tatoeba #933064 by sacredceltic, translation #260965 by CK
- Je suis vraiment désolé pour l'erreur.I'm very sorry about the mistake.Tatoeba #4585386 by dadidas, translation #20859 by CK
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan accidentally broke Manon's favorite vase.
- ManonNathan, tu as cassé mon vase préféré !Nathan, you broke my favorite vase!
- NathanJe suis vraiment désolé, Manon.I am very sorry, Manon.
- ManonC'est vraiment dommage, il était magnifique.It is a real shame, it was beautiful.
- NathanJe t'en achèterai un nouveau demain.I will buy you a new one tomorrow.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
