When it comes to learning languages, making mistakes is okay—perhaps even encouraged. But, when you do need to apologize for a mistake, you need to know how to say sorry in Spanish.
When you’re learning Spanish—or any other language—you’re bound to make mistakes. You’ll say the wrong thing, use a word incorrectly, and perhaps even offend someone accidentally. This is all normal! Mistakes help us learn things really well, so you should try to treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
However, sometimes your mistakes will go beyond a simple mispronunciation or incorrect word usage. Sometimes, you’ll hurt people's feelings. Sometimes, you’ll do things that hurt others, whether by accident or on purpose. And when you do something that hurts or offends others, the best way to move forward is to offer a sincere apology.
If you’ve been studying Spanish online or in person for a while now, you probably know it’s an incredibly diverse language. That means there’s more than a handful of ways to say sorry. There are actually dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to say pardon me in Spanish!
But don’t take that as discouragement. Of course, it’ll take a while to learn all the ways to say you’re sorry in this beautiful language. This article will cover more than 80 ways to say sorry to someone in Spanish so that you know what to do next time you need to apologize!
Pero, sorry for all the fuss. Let’s get into all the different ways to apologize in Spanish!
How to say I’m sorry in Spanish
The biggest difference between apologizing in English versus Spanish is that there are several verbs that are commonly used to express regret. In English, “sorry” is commonly used as an adjective. In Spanish, there are three common verbs used when apologizing:
- Perdonar
- Disculpar
- Lamentar
The first two mean roughly the same thing, whereas the third one has a stronger connotation of regret. So, keep in mind that you’ll be using mostly verbs when apologizing in Spanish, so don’t forget to conjugate them accordingly!
How to say sorry to someone you have hurt
Hurting someone never feels good, and, although sometimes there’s not a lot you can do after the fact, you can always offer a heartfelt apology. With that said, you want to use an apology that fits the bill to be culturally sensitive. Over-apologizing could come across as insincere, whereas under-apologizing might not cut it.
That’s why we’ve included a column with context so that you know exactly what kind of apology to use depending on how bad your mistake was. We’ve also included different sections for different scenarios below, so make sure to read through the entire article!
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I’m sorry | Perdón | pɛɾˈðõn | pear-don | One of the most basic ways of saying I’m sorry |
I’m sorry | Lo siento | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | loh see-en-toh | One of the most basic ways of saying I’m sorry |
I apologize | Disculpa | disˈkulpa | dis-cool-pah | One of the most basic ways of saying I’m sorry |
I lament it | Lo lamento | lo laˈmɛ̃nto | lo lah-men-toh | One of the most basic ways of saying I’m sorry |
I’m truly sorry | En verdad lo siento | ɛ̃m bɛɾˈðað lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | en ver-dad lo see-en-toh | A more genuine way of saying I’m sorry |
I’m so, so sorry | Lo siento tanto | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈtãnto | lo see-en-toh tan-toh | A more genuine way of saying I’m sorry |
I feel terrible, I’m so sorry | Me siento terrible, lo siento mucho | me ˈsjɛ̃nto tɛˈriβle | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo | meh see-en-toh teh-ree-bleh lo see-en-toh moo-cho | Emphasizes your role in the situation and a feeling of remorse |
I’m so sorry, that was thoughtless of me | Lo siento mucho, fue muy descuidado de mi parte | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo | ˈfwe mwi ðɛskwiˈðaðo ðe mi ˈpaɾte | lo see-en-toh moo-cho foo-eh moo-y des-coo-e-da-doh deh me par-teh | Emphasizes carelessness on your behalf |
I’m very sorry for the way I behaved | Lo siento mucho por mi comportamiento | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo poɾ mi kõmpoɾtaˈmjɛ̃nto | lo see-en-toh moo-cho pore me com-pore-tah-me-en-toh | Emphasizes that your behavior was wrong |
I apologize, I was out of line | Una disculpa, eso estuvo fuera de lugar | ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | ˈeso ɛsˈtuβo ˈfwɛɾa ðe luˈɣaɾ | oo-nah dis-cool-pah | Emphasizes improper behavior |
A thousand apologies | Mil disculpas | ˈmil disˈkulpas | meel dis-cool-pas | Casual yet genuine |
I owe you an apology | Te debo una disculpa | te ˈðeβo ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | teh deh-bo oo-nah dis-cool-pah | Centers the person you need to apologize to |
Forgive me | Perdóname | pɛɾˈðoname | pear-doh-nah-meh | Simple way to ask for forgiveness |
I’m sorry, it wasn’t on purpose | Lo siento, no lo hice a propósito | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈno lo ˈise a pɾoˈposito | lo see-en-toh no lo e-say ah pro-poh-see-toh | Clarifies that your mistake wasn’t intentional |
I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking | Lo siento, no sé en qué estaba pensando | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈno ˈse ɛ̃n ˈke ɛsˈtaβa pɛ̃nˈsãndo | lo see-en-toh no say en keh es-tah-bah pen-san-doh | Emphasizes a lapse of judgment on your behalf |
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that | Perdón, no quise hacerlo | pɛɾˈðõn | ˈno ˈkise aˈsɛɾlo | pear-don no key-seh ah-ser-lo | Clarifies that your mistake wasn’t intentional |
How to say you’re sorry if something bad happened to someone you care for
Saying sorry isn’t always about apologizing for something you’ve done. Sometimes, you apologize just to show that you’re sorry something happened to someone you love. An example is when a friend or family member is grieving a loss. Unless you were directly involved in the death of their loved one, saying “I’m sorry for your loss” isn’t something that would imply that you’re to blame, right?
Just like in English, there are several ways to express sympathy in Spanish without necessarily admitting fault. Here are some of our favorites:
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I’m so sorry to hear that | Lamento mucho oír eso | laˈmɛ̃nto ˈmuʧo oˈiɾ ˈeso | la-men-toh moo-cho oh-ear eh-so | You can use this when anything bad happens to someone you care about |
My deepest sympathies | Mi más sentido pésame | mi ˈmas sɛ̃nˈtiðo ˈpesame | me mas sen-tee-doh peh-sa-meh | You can use this when someone is grieving a loss |
I’m sorry that happened to you | Lo siento tanto que eso te haya sucedido | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto ˈtãnto ˈke ˈeso te ˈaʝa suseˈðiðo | lo see-en-toh tan-to kay eh-so teh ah-yah sue-say-dee-doh | You can use this when anything bad happens to someone you care about |
My deepest condolences | Mi más sincero pésame | mi ˈmas sĩnˈsɛɾo ˈpesame | me mas seen-seh-ro peh-sa-meh | You can use this when someone is grieving a loss |
You don’t imagine how sorry I am to hear that | No sabes cuánto lamento escuchar eso | ˈno ˈsaβes ˈkwãnto laˈmɛ̃nto ɛskuˈʧaɾ ˈeso | no sah-bes coo-an-toh lah-men-toh es-coo-char eh-so | You can use this when something very bad happens to someone you care about |
I’m sorry about your… | Siento lo de tú… | ˈsjɛ̃nto lo ðe ˈtu | see-en-toh lo deh too… | You can use this in many contexts, just add what you’re sorry about at the end |
I’m sorry about your… loss | Lamento la pérdida de tu… | laˈmɛ̃nto la ˈpɛɾðiða ðe tu | la-men-toh la pear-dee-dah deh too… | You can use this when someone’s lost a loved one |
I share your feelings | Te acompaño en tus sentimientos | te akõmˈpaɲo ɛ̃n tus sɛ̃ntiˈmjɛ̃ntos | teh ah-come-pah-nyo en toos sen-tee-mee-en-toes | You can use this to show that you empathize with someone |
I share your pain | Te acompaño en tu dolor | te akõmˈpaɲo ɛ̃n tu ðoˈloɾ | teh ah-come-pah-nyo en too doh-lore | You can use this to show that you empathize with someone |
I sympathize with you | Te compadezco | te kõmpaˈðɛsko | teh come-pah-dess-koh | You can use this to show that you sympathize with someone |
I sympathize with you (formal) | Le compadezco | le kõmpaˈðɛsko | leh come-pah-dess-koh | You can use this to show that you empathize with someone |
I am in pain for what you’re going through | Me duele mucho lo que te está pasando | me ˈðwele ˈmuʧo lo ˈke tɛ ɛsˈta paˈsãndo | meh doo-eh-leh moo-cho lo kay teh es-tah pah-san-doh | You can use this to show that you empathize with someone |
I’m sorry, you can count on me | Lo siento, cuenta conmigo | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈkwɛ̃nta kõmˈmiɣo | lo see-en-toh, coo-en-tah con-me-go | You can use this to emphasize that they can count on you during hard times |
How to apologize when you accidentally bump into someone, or you want to get past someone blocking the way
Life can be messy. You’ll bump into people, knock things over, or otherwise disturb people. When this happens, all you need is a quick apology to keep it moving.
Here are some of the best ways to apologize when you bump into someone by accident or want to get past someone blocking the way in Spanish.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Excuse me please | Con permiso | kõm pɛɾˈmiso | con pear-miso | Most common way to ask to get through |
Sorry, can I get by? | Disculpa, ¿me das permiso? | disˈkulpa | me ˈðas pɛɾˈmiso ‖ | diss-cool-pah meh das pear-miso | More polite way to ask to get through |
Let me through | Permíteme | pɛɾˈmiteme | pear-me-teh-meh | Direct way of asking someone to let you through |
Allow me | Permítame | pɛɾˈmitame | pear-mi-tah-meh | Slightly more formal than “permíteme” but still direct |
Forgive me | Perdona | pɛɾˈðona | pear-doh-nah | Indirect way to ask to get through |
Excuse me, can you let me through? | Disculpa, ¿Me permites? | disˈkulpa | me pɛɾˈmites ‖ | diss-cool-pah meh pear-me-tess | More polite way to ask to get through |
Excuse me, can you make space for me? | Perdón, ¿Me das chanza? | pɛɾˈðõn | me ˈðas ˈʧãnsa ‖ | pear-don meh das chan-za | Informal yet polite way to ask to get through |
Excuse me, may I? | Disculpa, ¿Puedo? | disˈkulpa | ˈpweðo ‖ | diss-cool-pah poo-eh-doh | Very polite way to ask to get through |
May I? | ¿Se puede? | se ˈpweðe ‖ | seh-poo-eh-deh | Very polite way to ask to get through |
May I pass? | ¿Puedo pasar? | ˈpweðo paˈsaɾ ‖ | poo-eh-doh pah-sar | Very polite way to ask to get through |
Oh! Sorry | ¡Ay! Perdón | ˈai̯ ‖ pɛɾˈðõn | ah-e pear-don | Use this when you accidentally bump into someone |
Oh! I didn’t see you | ¡Ay! No te vi | ˈai̯ ‖ ˈno te ˈβi | ah-e no teh-vee | Use this when you accidentally bump into someone |
How to apologize when you need to ask someone to repeat something
We all get distracted. It happens. Even if we’re really invested in the conversation, we can miss what the other person said from distraction or because of external factors, such as a loud motorcycle.
When this happens, it’s probably a good idea to apologize quickly for making the other person repeat themselves.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pardon? | ¿Mande? | ˈmãnde ‖ | man-deh | Most common way to ask someone to repeat what they just said. Can also be used instead of “¿Qué?” |
What? | ¿Qué? | ˈke | keh | Could be considered rude unless using an extremely polite tone of voice |
Sorry I didn’t hear you | Disculpa, no te escuché | disˈkulpa | ˈno tɛ ɛskuˈʧe | diss-cool-pah no teh es-coo-che | Polite way to emphasize that you didn’t hear |
Sorry, could you please repeat that? | Perdón, ¿podrías repetirlo? | pɛɾˈðõn | poˈðɾias̬ repɛˈtiɾlo ‖ | pear-don po-dree-as reh-peh-tear-loh | Polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
I beg your pardon | ¿Perdón? | pɛɾˈðõn ‖ | pear-don | Implies that you need them to repeat what they just said |
What? | ¿Cómo? | ˈkomo ‖ | koh-mo | Implies that you need them to repeat what they just said |
What did you say? (formal) | ¿Cómo dijo? | ˈkomo ˈðixo ‖ | koh-mo dee-ho | Polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
What was that? | ¿Qué pasó? | ˈke paˈso ‖ | keh pah-so | Informal way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
Sorry, could you repeat that? | Perdón, ¿me lo podrías repetir? | pɛɾˈðõn | me lo poˈðɾias̬ repɛˈtiɾ ‖ | pear-don meh lo poh-dree-as re-peh-tear | Polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
I’m sorry, what did you say? | Perdón, ¿qué dijiste? | pɛɾˈðõn | ˈke ðiˈxiste ‖ | pear-don kay dee-his-teh | Informal yet polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
I didn’t hear you, can you come again? | No escuché, repite por favor | ˈno ɛskuˈʧe | reˈpite poɾ faˈβoɾ | no ess-coo-che ray-pee-teh pore fah-vore | Informal yet polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said |
How to apologize when you have made a small mistake (that didn’t hurt anyone)
Most apologies (I hope!) we use in our day-to-day life are for inconsequential mistakes that we make. Saying sorry for the little things helps us live in society by being polite, just like saying thank you for minor things.
Here are some of our favorite ways to apologize when you have made a small or inconsequential mistake in Spanish.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
It was my bad | Fue mi culpa | ˈfwe mi ˈkulpa | foo-eh me cool-pah | Most direct way to say that something was your fault |
I messed up | Me equivoqué | me ekiβoˈke | meh eh-key-voh-keh | Emphasizes that you made a mistake |
I was wrong and I apologize | Me disculpo, fue culpa mía | me ðisˈkulpo | ˈfwe ˈkulpa ˈmia | meh diss-cool-poh foo-eh cool-pah me-ah | Formal way to apologize and overtly place the blame on yourself |
Sorry about that! | ¡Disculpa! | disˈkulpa ‖ | diss-cool-pah | Informal way to say you’re sorry for something minor |
Whoops! Sorry! | ¡Oops! ¡Perdón! | ˈoops ‖ pɛɾˈðõn ‖ | oops pear-don | Informal way to say you’re sorry for something minor |
Oh, my bad! | ¡Ay! ¡Perdón! | ˈai̯ ‖ pɛɾˈðõn ‖ | ah-e pear-don | Informal way to say you’re sorry for something minor |
Oh, it slipped my mind! | ¡Ay! Se me fue | ˈai̯ ‖ se me ˈfwe | ah-e seh meh foo-eh | Informal way to say you’re sorry for something minor |
How to say sorry in a formal or business environment
Nobody likes to mess up at work, but when you do, it’s usually a good idea to own up to it and apologize. However, you have to choose your words very carefully when you need to apologize to a business partner or a supervisor. Also remember to NOT say sorry if you’re not at fault.
But if you do need to sincerely offer apologies? Here’s a few highly polite ways to apologize in Spanish at work.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Forgive my mistake | Disculpe mi error | disˈkulpe mj ɛˈroɾ | diss-cool-pah me eh-roar | Quick yet genuine apology for a mistake you made |
Sorry for the late reply | Disculpe la tardanza | disˈkulpe la taɾˈðãnsa | diss-cool-pah la tar-dan-za | Formal way to apologize for the delay, either in sending something or being late yourself |
Please forgive the lengthy delay | Por favor disculpe usted la larga demora | poɾ faˈβoɾ ðisˈkulpe u̯sˈtɛð la ˈlaɾɣa ðeˈmoɾa | pore fah-vore diss-cool-peh oos-ted la lar-gah deh-moh-rah | Formal way to apologize for a lengthy delay |
My apologies you didn’t receive the report you requested | Lamento que no haya recibido el reporte que pidió | laˈmɛ̃nto ˈke ˈno ˈaʝa resiˈβiðo ɛl reˈpoɾte ˈke piˈðjo | lah-men-to kay no ah-ya reh-see-be-doh elle reh-pore-teh | Formal way to apologize for a missing report |
I apologize for the confusion… | Lamento la confusión | laˈmɛ̃nto la kõmfuˈsjõn | lah-men-to la con-foo-see-on | Quick way to apologize for any confusion, whether it was your fault or not |
I’m sorry to bother you | Lamento tener que molestarle | laˈmɛ̃nto teˈnɛɾ ˈke molɛsˈtaɾle | lah-men-to teh-ner kay mo-les-tar-leh | Formal way to apologize for requesting something or following up on something |
Sorry I couldn’t attend the meeting | Lamento no poder haber asistido a la junta | laˈmɛ̃nto ˈno poˈðɛɾ aˈβɛɾ asisˈtiðo a la ˈxũnta | lah-men-to no poh-der ah-bear ah-sees-tee-doh ah la hoon-tah | Formal way to apologize for missing a meeting |
I’ve made a mistake | He cometido un error | ˈe komɛˈtiðo u̯n ɛˈroɾ | eh coh-meh-tee-doh oon eh-roar | Formal way to own up to making a mistake |
I regret the problem I’ve created | Me arrepiento del problema que he creado | me areˈpjɛ̃nto ðɛl pɾoˈβlema ˈke ˈe kɾeˈaðo | meh ah-reh-pee-en-to delle pro-bleh-mah | Emphasizes regret |
I should have anticipated this | Debí haber tenido esto en cuenta | deˈβi aˈβɛɾ teˈniðo ˈɛsto ɛ̃n ˈkwɛ̃nta | deh-bee ah-bear teh-knee-doh ess-toh en coo-en-tah | Emphasizes that you didn’t anticipate something |
I misjudged the situation | Juzgué la situación de manera equivocada | xus̬ˈɣe la sitwaˈsjõn de maˈnɛɾa ekiβoˈkaða | whose-geh la see-too-ah-see-on deh mah-neh-rah eh-key-vo-kah-da | Emphasizes a lapse of judgement |
I ask for your forgiveness | Le pido una disculpa | le ˈpiðo ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | Leh pee-doh oo-nah diss-cool-pah | Formal way to ask someone to forgive you |
I offer you an apology | Le ofrezco una disculpa | le oˈfɾɛsko ˈuna ðisˈkulpa | leh oh-fress-koh oo-nah diss-cool-pah | Formal way to offer an apology |
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding | Lamento el malentendido | laˈmɛ̃nto ɛl malɛ̃ntɛ̃nˈdiðo | lah-men-toh elle mal-en-ten-dee-doh | Formal way to apologize for a misunderstanding |
How to say sorry in Spanish slang
If you’re a little younger, you’ll probably want to use some Spanish slang when apologizing to your friends. Luckily, there are many informal ways to say you’re sorry or “my bad” in Spanish! Here are some of the best Spanish slang words and phrases to say sorry in Spanish.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I messed up | La regué | la reˈɣe | la reh-geh | You messed up |
I messed up | La cagué | la kaˈɣe | la kag-geh | You messed up (crude) |
It was my bad | Se me fue la onda | se me ˈfwe la ˈõnda | seh meh foo-eh la on-dah | You didn’t think right |
How animal-like | Qué animal | ˈke aniˈmal | keh ah-knee-mal | Emphasizes that you behaved like an animal |
How idiotic | Qué tarado | ˈke taˈɾaðo | keh tah-ra-doh | Emphasized that your behavior was dumb |
It was an intentional accident | Fue sin querer queriendo | ˈfwe sĩn kɛˈɾɛɾ kɛˈɾjɛ̃ndo | foo-eh seen keh-rer keh-ree-en-doh | This is a reference to the Mexican TV show El Chavo del Ocho |
Sorry | Sorry | ˈsori | soh-ree | Loan word from English |
Please forgive me | Perdóname plis | pɛɾˈðoname ˈplis | pear-don-nah-meh plees | “plis” is a loan word (please) from English |
How to ask for forgiveness
Saying sorry and asking for forgiveness are often two different things. If you’ve just bumped into a stranger in public, you’ll probably apologize but won’t expect a grand gesture of forgiveness. But if you’ve done something very hurtful to a friend, you’ll want to explicitly ask for their forgiveness.
There are several ways to ask for someone’s forgiveness. One of the most common ones is asking how you can correct the situation. Even if you can’t undo the action, you can often make it up in a different way or compensate with something else. Here are a few genuine ways to ask for forgiveness in Spanish.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Can you forgive me? | ¿Me perdonas? | me pɛɾˈðonas ‖ | meh pear-doh-nass | Direct way of asking someone if they’ll forgive you |
How can I make it up to you? | ¿Cómo te puedo compensar? | ˈkomo te ˈpweðo kõmpɛ̃nˈsaɾ ‖ | koh-mo teh poo-eh-doh kom-pen-sar | Offering to make up for the damage/pain that you caused |
Sorry, I won’t do it again. | Lo siento, no volverá a suceder | lo ˈsjɛ̃nto | ˈno βolβɛˈɾa a suseˈðɛɾ | lo see-en-toh no vol-ver-rah ah sue-seh-der | Emphasizes that you will not repeat your behavior |
Please, forgive me | Por favor, perdóname | poɾ faˈβoɾ | pɛɾˈðoname | pore fah-vore pear-don-nah-meh | Asking someone to please forgive you |
Do you think you could forgive me someday? | ¿Crees que algún día me podrías perdonar? | ˈkɾees ˈke alˈɣũn ˈdia me poˈðɾias pɛɾðoˈnaɾ ‖ | crehs keh al-goon dee-ah meh po-dree-ahs pear-doh-nar | Could be used after making a serious mistake, or facetiously after making a tiny mistake |
Will you absolve me? | ¿Me disculpas? | me ðisˈkulpas ‖ | meh diss-cool-pass | Direct way of asking someone if they’ll forgive you |
How to express regret
Similarly to asking for forgiveness, expressing regret is a way to take your apology one step further. A simple “sorry” doesn’t necessarily imply that you wish you hadn’t done something or that you’re truly remorseful.
Being intentional with your words and vocalizing how you feel can help the other person appreciate how sorry you really are.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I wish I could take it back | Quisiera poder deshacerlo | kiˈsjɛɾa poˈðɛɾ ðesaˈsɛɾlo | key-see-air-rah poh-der des-ah-ser-lo | For something that can no longer be fixed |
I wish I hadn’t done that | Desearía nunca haberlo hecho | deseaˈɾia ˈnũnka aˈβɛɾlo ˈeʧo | deh-seh-ah-ree-ah noon-kah ah-bear-lo eh-cho | Emphasizes remorse |
I am very regretful | Estoy muy arrepentido | ɛsˈtoi̯ mwj arepɛ̃nˈtiðo | es-toy moo-y ah-reh-pen-tea-doh | Emphasizes remorse |
You have no idea how regretful I am | No sabes cómo me arrepiento | ˈno ˈsaβes ˈkomo me areˈpjɛ̃nto | no sah-bes koh-mo meh ah-reh-pee-en-toe | Seriously emphasizes remorse |
I wish I could turn back time | Quisiera volver el tiempo atrás | kiˈsjɛɾa βolˈβɛɾ ɛl ˈtjɛ̃mpo aˈtɾas | key-see-eh-rah vol-ver elle tee-em-poh ah-tras | For something that can no longer be fixed |
I wish I could erase it | Quisiera poder borrarlo | kiˈsjɛɾa poˈðɛɾ βoˈraɾlo | key-see-eh-rah poh-der boh-rar-loh | For something that can no longer be fixed |
How to offer help after making a mistake in Spanish
Offering help immediately after apologizing is a great way to show that you want to do right by the person you’ve hurt. It shows a genuine will to address the situation head-on and compensate them for the troubles you’ve caused. Here are some helpful ways to offer help after making a mistake in Spanish.
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Whatever you need | Lo que necesites | lo ˈke neseˈsites | lo keh neh-seh-see-tess | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
Whatever I can help you with | En lo que te pueda ayudar | ɛ̃n lo ˈke te ˈpweða aʝuˈðaɾ | en loh keh teh poo-eh-dah ah-you-dar | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
I’m here for whatever you need | Aquí estoy para lo que necesites | aˈki ɛsˈtoi̯ ˈpaɾa lo ˈke neseˈsites | ah-key-es-toy pah-ra loh keh neh-seh-see-tess | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
I’m awaiting any requests | Quedo al pendiente | ˈkeðo al pɛ̃nˈdjɛ̃nte | keh-doh all pen-dee-ent-eh | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
What can I do to fix the situation? | ¿Qué puedo hacer para arreglar la situación? | ˈke ˈpweðo aˈsɛɾ ˈpaɾa areˈɣlaɾ la sitwaˈsjõn ‖ | keh poo-eh-doh ah-sehr pah-rah ah-reh-glar la see-too-ah-see-on | Formal way to ask what you can do to help |
I’m at your service | Estoy a tus órdenes | ɛsˈtoj a tus ˈoɾðenes | ess-toy ah toos or-deh-ness | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
Let me know what I can do | Avísame lo que pueda hacer | aˈβisame lo ˈke ˈpweða aˈsɛɾ | ah-bee-sah-meh lo keh poo-eh-dah ah-ser | Informal way to offer help with whatever they may need |
What can I do for you? | ¿Qué puedo hacer por ti? | ˈke ˈpweðo aˈsɛɾ poɾ ˈti ‖ | keh poo-eh-doh ah-ser pore tee | Quick way to offer help with whatever they may need |
How to forgive in Spanish
On the flip side, knowing how to forgive in Spanish is just as important as learning how to say sorry. When someone says sorry to you, a simple “no problem!” can be good enough to let them know there are no hard feelings.
And no, “no problemo” is not the way to say no problem in Spanish! Check out the table below to learn how to actually forgive someone in Spanish!
English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
It’s no big deal | No pasa nada | ˈno ˈpasa ˈnaða | no pah-sa na-dah | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
Don’t worry about it | No te preocupes | ˈno te pɾeoˈkupes | no teh pre-oh-coo-pess | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
Don’t worry | No te apures | ˈno te aˈpuɾes | no teh ah-poo-res | Even more casual way to say that it’s okay |
No problem | No hay problema | ˈno ˈai̯ pɾoˈβlema | no ah-e pro-bleh-mah | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
It’s okay | Está bien | ɛsˈta ˈβjɛ̃n | es-tah bee-en | Even more casual way to say that it’s okay |
I forgive you | Te perdono | te pɛɾˈðono | teh pear-doh-noh | Formal way to tell someone you forgive them |
You have nothing to apologize for | No tienes de qué disculparte | ˈno ˈtjenes̬ ðe ˈke ðiskulˈpaɾte | no tee-eh-nes deh kay diss-cool-par-teh | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
It doesn’t matter | No importa | ˈno ĩ̯mˈpoɾta | no eem-pore-tah | Even more casual way to say that it’s okay |
Don’t worry | No te inquietes | ˈno te ĩ̯nˈkjɛtes | no teh een-key-eh-tess | Even more casual way to say that it’s okay |
Forget it | Olvídalo | olˈβiðalo | ol-vee-dah-loh | Even more casual way to say that it’s okay |
Don’t apologize | No te disculpes | ˈno te ðisˈkulpes | no teh diss-cool-pess | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
Don’t worry | Descuida | dɛsˈkwiða | des-coo-e-dah | Casual way to say that it’s okay |
A few final tips to note
If you’ve made it to the end of the article, congratulations! You are now well-equipped to become the apologizer in your friend group. However, remember:
- Don’t say sorry if you don’t have anything to be sorry for; and
- Be careful not to apologize a little too often, as constant apologies may be perceived as insincere!
While we’re sorry to see you go, we hope you’ve enjoyed learning some Spanish with this article. And if you’re not ready to leave yet, you can check out our Spanish blog for more helpful articles on learning Spanish.
¡Hasta pronto!
