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Image via Pixabay.<\/p><\/div>\n
In English, the word \u2018Sorry\u2019 can mean different things. It is used in various situations, sometimes to mean \u2018Excuse me\u2019. For example, here’s what you say:<\/p>\n
- \n
- If you are late to a meeting and want to apologise: \u2018Sorry I\u2019m late’<\/li>\n
- If you approach someone to ask for directions: \u2018Sorry \u2013 excuse me, what\u2019s the best way to get to the train station, please?\u2019 (Saying sorry like this, either as well as or in place of an \u2018Excuse me\u2019, is very common in British English)<\/li>\n
- If you accidentally bump into someone: \u2018Sorry\u2019<\/li>\n
- If you are sorry for someone else’s situation (including something you’ve done to them): \u2018I\u2019m so sorry\u2019<\/li>\n
- If you want someone to repeat what they\u2019ve said: \u2018Sorry?\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Now here\u2019s how you would say the same things in German:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- If you are late to a meeting and want to apologise: Entschuldigen Sie<\/strong> bitte die Versp\u00e4<\/span>tung.<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you approach someone to ask for directions: Entschuldigung<\/strong>, w<\/span>ie komme ich am besten zum Bahnhof, bitte?<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you accidentally bump into someone: Verzeihung\/<\/strong>Entschuldigung\/Tut mir Leid<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you are sorry for someone else’s situation (including something you’ve done to them)<\/span>: Das\/es tut mir Leid<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
- If you want someone to repeat what they\u2019ve said: Wie bitte<\/strong>?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As you can see, there are a few different ways of saying \u2018sorry\u2019, depending on the situation. The words used above, plus a few others, are:<\/span><\/p>\n
Entschuldigung<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Verzeihung<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
(Es) Tut mir Leid<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Mein Beileid<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Wie bitte?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Leider<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Sorry<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Entschuldigung <\/b><\/span>is the most common word and the one you probably will know from school\/textbooks. It means both sorry and excuse me, and can be used casually, like when you bump into someone or approach someone to ask a question, or as a more formal way of apologising eg. for being late. <\/span>In that sense, it\u2019s pretty versatile. <\/span>Note it\u2019s never used when expressing you are sorry for someone else\u2019s situation or loss, <\/span>though<\/span>. If someone tells you they’ve lost their job, you wouldn’t reply with ‘Entschuldigung’ but with ‘Es tut mir Leid’ (see below). The word Entschuldigung has the word ‘Schuld’ in it, which means fault or guilt (‘Es ist meine Schuld’ – ‘It is my fault’).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Verzeihung <\/span><\/b>is similar to Entschuldigung, but a little more formal. It is similar to saying \u2018Pardon\u2019 or \u2018Pardon me\u2019 in English.\u00a0 Also, ‘Verzeih mir’<\/strong> is how you’d say ‘Forgive me’.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Es) Tut mir Leid <\/span><\/b>Literally \u2018It does me sorrow\u2019, this is the one to use if you want to express you are sorry <\/span>for someone else, <\/i><\/span>like if they\u2019ve just told you they\u2019ve lost their job, for example<\/span>,<\/i><\/span> you\u2019d say,<\/span> Es tut mir Leid. <\/i>This is also what you can say if you’ve screwed up and want to apologise for causing pain\/distress etc. <\/span>Without the \u2018Es\u2019 it sounds a little less sincere and a little more rushed. You might hear a quick \u2018Tut mir Leid\u2019 if someone bumps into you in the street, for example, or if they’re just saying ‘Sorry’ as a matter of habit and are not really sorry at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mein Beileid <\/span><\/b>This is how you say \u2018Sorry for your loss\u2019 in German. If you go to a card shop in Germany, in the \u2018My condolences\u2019 section you\u2019ll find cards that say Mein Beileid or Herzliches Beileid (\u2018heartfelt condolences\u2019) on them. This is the appropriate way of saying you are sorry for someone\u2019s loss.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wie bitte? <\/span><\/b>This is how you say \u2018Sorry?\u2019 if you didn\u2019t understand what was just said and you\u2019d like the person to repeat it. Yes, the word Bitte<\/em> means please<\/em>, but it becomes a \u2018Sorry?\u2019 when you make it sound like a question! ‘Wie bitte?’ literally means ‘How, please?’<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Leider <\/span><\/b>This little word powerfully changes the meaning of a sentence, and can be the difference between sounding rude and sounding apologetic about a situation. For instance: The sentence \u2018<\/span>I<\/span>ch kann nicht\u2019 (\u2018I can\u2019t\u2019)<\/span> sounds significantly more apologetic and regretful<\/span> when you add the word leider \u2013 unfortunately<\/em>: \u2018<\/span>Leider <\/span>kann ich nicht\u2019<\/span> – \u2018<\/span>Unfortunately, I can\u2019t\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sorry <\/span><\/b>Our final word for \u2018sorry\u2019 is\u2026. Sorry! What with English or \u2018Denglisch\u2019 being used more and more in the German language, a lot of (mostly younger) Germans now use the word Sorry as part of their everyday vocabulary. This is very informal\/colloquial, though, so don\u2019t write off everything you\u2019ve just learned <\/span>in favour of an English loanword!<\/span> \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I hope this post has cleared up any confusion you might\u2019ve had about the different ways to say sorry in German. <\/span>And <\/span>If I\u2019ve missed any out, do let me know! <\/span><\/p>\n
Bis bald<\/span><\/p>\n
Constanze<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/08\/i-beg-your-pardon-927744_1280-350x226.jpg\")
Entschuldiging, Verzeihung, Es tut mir Leid, Mein Beileid\u2026.. Have you ever noticed how many different ways there are to say \u2018sorry\u2019 in German? It might leave you wondering whether there\u2019s any difference between them, and if it\u2019s better to say one over the other. In this post I\u2019m going to explain the different German words…<\/p>\n
- If you approach someone to ask for directions: Entschuldigung<\/strong>, w<\/span>ie komme ich am besten zum Bahnhof, bitte?<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you are late to a meeting and want to apologise: Entschuldigen Sie<\/strong> bitte die Versp\u00e4<\/span>tung.<\/span><\/li>\n