lo siento
/lo ˈsjento/
In Spanish, 'I'm sorry' can be translated as lo siento or me disculpo.
Meaning: I'm sorry, I apologize (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| lo siento | /lo ˈsjento/ |
| me disculpo | /me diskulpo/ (from spelling rules) |
Lo siento is the standard way to express genuine regret, sympathy or condolences when someone shares bad news, such as saying 'I'm sorry (to hear that)'. Other phrases like perdón or disculpa are more commonly used for minor social transgressions, such as bumping into someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase lo siento literally translates to 'I feel it'.
Which one should you use?
While lo siento is used to express empathy or regret, me disculpo is a more formal way to say 'I apologize'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'I am very sorry', you can add the adverb mucho to the end of the phrase to get lo siento mucho.
How do you pronounce it?
/lo ˈsjento/
Did you know?
- When using me disculpo, you are using a reflexive verb, which literally means you are performing the act of 'excusing yourself' from the mistake.
- Depending on the country, using disculpa can change based on who you are talking to, as it has both a formal disculpe and an informal disculpa version.
- The verb sentir is a close linguistic relative to the English word 'sentiment', which links your apology to the very notion of feeling or emotion.
Examples in context
- Lo siento por ti.I'm sorry for you.This sentence is useful for expressing sympathy for someone's situation using lo siento.Tatoeba #1010290 by Shishir, translation #64683 by Zifre
- Lo siento, la he cagado.I'm sorry, I fucked up.This sentence shows how lo siento can be used to express regret after a mistake using lo siento.Tatoeba #2003739 by wallebot, translation #729935 by darinmex
- Lo siento, era una broma.I'm sorry, it was a joke.This sentence demonstrates an apology for a joke using lo siento.Tatoeba #1246569 by wallebot, translation #13041074 by araneo
- Disculpe las molestias.Excuse the inconvenience.
- Lamentamos profundamente lo ocurrido.We deeply regret what happened.
- Le pido disculpas.I apologize to you.
- PerdónSorry
- PerdónameForgive me
- Lo siento muchoI'm really sorry.
- 135 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier forgot to call María on her birthday.
- JavierLo siento, María, olvidé llamarte ayer.I'm sorry, María, I forgot to call you yesterday.
- MaríaNo pasa nada, Javier, no te preocupes.It's okay, Javier, don't worry about it.
- JavierDe verdad lo siento mucho.I am truly very sorry.
- MaríaEstá bien, acepto tus disculpas.It's fine, I accept your apologies.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm sorry” translations and entries lo siento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
