Apologizing to someone
Everybody makes mistakes sometimes.
When it happens we need a phrase to tell the other person how really sorry we are and stop them getting really angry. Here are ten phrases.
Ten ways to say sorry
casual · neutral · formal
- Sorry.casualSorry, I stepped on your foot.
- I'm (so/very/terribly) sorry.neutralI'm so sorry I missed your birthday.
- Ever so sorry.casualEver so sorry, I didn't see you there.
- How stupid/careless/thoughtless of me.casualI left your umbrella on the bus. How careless of me!
- Pardon (me).neutralPardon me, could I get past?
- That's my fault.neutralThe report is late. That's my fault.
- Sorry. It was all my fault.neutralstrongSorry. It was all my fault that we missed the train.
- Please excuse (my ignorance).formalPlease excuse my ignorance, but what does GST stand for?
- Please don't be mad at me.casualI forgot to call you back. Please don't be mad at me.
- Please accept our (sincerest) apologies.formalPlease accept our sincerest apologies for the delay in your order.
How to use them
- is a general short apology. We use this when we bump into people on the street. At other times, it sounds too weak.
- In , we use "so", "very" and "terribly" to make the meaning stronger. "Terribly" is the strongest. If we use one of the words in brackets, it is stressed.
- is quite formal but it's a stronger apology than just "sorry".
- We use to criticize ourselves and the mistake that we have just made.
- We use to take all the responsibility for what happened. is a little stronger.
- We use to apologize for our lack of knowledge or ability. We can replace the word in brackets with other nouns, e.g. carelessness, forgetfulness.
- is asking the other person not to get angry. The tone is quite informal.
- is often used in formal letters. The word 'sincerest' makes the apology very strong and very formal.
Quick check
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A company writes to a customer about a late delivery. Which phrase fits?
You need to squeeze past someone on a crowded bus. What do you say?
Which phrase is about your own silly mistake?
See also: Giving excuses for being late · "Thanks!"
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