¡Lo Siento! and 25 More Ways to Say “Sorry” in Spanish

---

How do you say “sorry” in Spanish? The best phrase depends on what happened.

Use lo siento to express regret or sympathy, perdón for a quick apology, and disculpa or disculpe when you need to get someone’s attention. If you’re asking someone to forgive you, perdóname carries more weight.

There isn’t one Spanish translation that works in every situation, which is why learning the difference matters way more than memorising a single word.

This guide gives you more than 25 ways to apologise, ask for forgiveness, offer condolences and reply when someone apologises to you.

A good apology is about choosing a phrase that fits the moment. The expression you use after bumping into someone shouldn’t sound like the one you use after a serious mistake.

If you step on someone’s foot during a tango class in Argentina, a flamenco class in Spain or a bachata class in the Dominican Republic, you need a quick apology. If you’ve hurt a friend, you need something stronger.

Start with the phrases you’re most likely to need, say them aloud, and then practise changing the person and situation. That will make them far easier to reach for when you actually need them.

If you want a clear structure for putting your Spanish into practice, take a look at the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp. It’s a 90-day programme with weekly coaching calls, a private community and a focus on speaking from day one.

How To Say “Sorry” in Spanish

So how do you say “sorry” in Spanish? First, let’s agree on what you mean by “sorry”.

“Sorry” as an Adjective in Spanish

If someone wants to say they regret being rude, they might use the adjective arrepentido or arrepentida, which means “remorseful” or “repentant”.

Estoy arrepentido/a de haberte hablado así. – “I’m sorry I spoke to you like that.”

English also uses “sorry” to mean “poor” or “pitiful”. In that sense, Spanish can use lamentable: un espectáculo lamentable is “a sorry spectacle”.

For “sorry” in the sense of “saddened” or “distressed”, you may also see apenado or apenada.

“Sorry” as an Interjection in Spanish

Most of the time, learners want “sorry” as a short apology or expression of sympathy. That’s where lo siento, perdón and disculpa come in.

How To Say “I’m sorry” in Spanish

The right translation of “I’m sorry” depends on whether you’re expressing regret, showing sympathy or excusing a small interruption.

To express regret, sorrow or empathy, the most useful phrase is lo siento. You can use it after hearing that a friend is ill, or when you regret something you did. The subject pronoun yo is normally left out.

For a small inconvenience or interruption, as in “Sorry, could you repeat that?”, choose perdón, perdona or disculpa. The formal forms are perdone and disculpe.

Let’s go a little more in-depth with lo siento before talking more about perdón, perdona, and disculpa.

“I’m So Sorry” in Spanish

You can add an intensifier when a plain lo siento doesn’t feel strong enough.

Add tanto (“so much”) to get lo siento tanto (“I’m so sorry”). Add mucho (“a lot”) to get lo siento mucho (“I’m very sorry”).

You can also use de verdad (“truly”): lo siento de verdad (“I’m truly sorry”).

“How Sorry I Am!” in Spanish

¡Cuánto lo siento! means “I’m so sorry!” or, more literally, “How sorry I am!” It adds emotional emphasis, so save it for a situation that genuinely calls for it.

You could also come across:

• No sabes cuánto lo siento. – “You don’t know how sorry I am” / “You don’t know how much I regret it.”
• No te imaginas cuánto lo siento. – “You can’t imagine how sorry I am.”
• No te imaginas lo arrepentido que estoy. – “You can’t imagine how much I regret it.”

“I’m sorry, but…” in Spanish

In English, we often use “I’m sorry, but…” It’s useful to apologise before saying something that probably won’t make the other person happy.

The Spanish equivalent is Lo siento, pero…

Example: Lo siento, pero no puedo venir mañana (“I’m sorry, but I can’t come tomorrow.”)

What Exactly is “Lo Siento” in English

We’ve seen that lo siento means “I’m sorry”, but its literal meaning helps explain how the phrase works.

Lo siento literally means “I feel it”. The verb sentir can mean both “to feel” and “to regret” or “to be sorry”, depending on context.

Examples:

• Me siento mal – “I don’t feel well”, literally “I feel bad”
• No siento mis dedos – “I can’t feel my fingers”
• Siento que se acerca una tormenta – “I feel like a storm is coming”

It’s easy to tell the difference by the context of the conversation, though!

Compare Siento que esta clase será productiva (“I feel that this lesson will be productive”) with Lo siento, llegué tarde (“I’m sorry, I arrived late”). Context tells you whether sentir is about a feeling or an apology.

On the other hand, if they tell you Me pisaste el pie (“You stepped on my foot”), your lo siento will mean “I’m sorry”.

The Verb Sentir

The verb sentir belongs to the third Spanish conjugation, the verbs ending in -ir. It is irregular because its stem changes in several present-tense forms.

(Here’s a great post if you need a refresher on Spanish irregular verbs.)

Whether it means “to be sorry” or “to feel”, its present-tense forms are the same:

3 Other Ways to Say “I’m Sorry” in Spanish

Lo siento is the safest phrase to learn first, but repeating it for every kind of apology can sound vague.

The next expressions let you name what you regret, sound more formal or admit a small mistake.

Siento (mucho)…

In lo siento, lo is the direct object pronoun. It replaces the entire explanation of what you are sorry for.

If someone tells you Me pisaste el pie (“You stepped on my foot”), you can answer lo siento. What you’re apologising for is already clear from the conversation.

If you’re going to mention the action you regret, you’ll usually drop lo: Siento haberte pisado el pie (“I’m sorry for stepping on your foot”).

There’s an exception to this rule. When the phrase starts with lo siento por…, the lo can remain even if you explain what you are sorry for. For example, Lo siento por la confusión (“I’m sorry for the confusion.”)

General Guidelines and Examples to Use Siento…

When you use siento without lo, the words that follow explain what you’re sorry for. Common patterns use lo, que, an infinitive or a noun phrase.

These patterns will give you a reliable starting point, and conversation will help you notice what people prefer locally.

Examples of siento followed by lo:

• Siento lo que ha pasado – “I’m sorry for what happened.”
• Siento lo que dijo – “I’m sorry for what he or she said.”
• Siento lo de tu tía – “I’m sorry about what happened to your aunt.”

When siento is followed by lo de + a person, it refers to the situation involving that person. It often appears after a death, accident or other piece of bad news, but the context supplies the exact meaning.

Examples of siento followed by que (+ usually a subjunctive):

• Siento que tengan que irse – “I’m sorry they have to go.”
• Siento que se haya acabado la clase – “I’m sorry the lesson is over.”
• Siento que Ana no pueda venir – “I’m sorry that Ana can’t come.”

The mood matters here:

• Siento que + indicative can mean “I feel” or “I sense”: Siento que se acerca una tormenta – “I feel like a storm is coming.”
• Siento que + subjunctive commonly expresses regret about another action: Siento que no haya podido venir – “I’m sorry he couldn’t come.”

• When the subject of siento and the action that follows are the same, Spanish normally uses an infinitive: Siento que (yo) me vaya is not the natural way to say “I’m sorry to leave.”

The proper way is to use siento + infinitive: Siento irme.

Examples of siento followed by an infinitive:

• Siento oír eso – “I’m sorry to hear that.”
• Siento no poder abrazarte – “I’m sorry I can’t hug you.”
• Siento llegar tarde – “I’m sorry to be late.”

Examples of siento followed by a noun:

• Siento lo ocurrido – “I’m sorry for what happened” or “I regret what happened.”
• Siento las molestias – “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
• Siento la tardanza – “I’m sorry for the delay.”

Siento… can be strengthened with mucho (“a lot”) resulting in Siento mucho… (“I’m very sorry…”)

Example: Siento mucho haberte pisado el pie. (“I’m very sorry for stepping on your foot.”)

Lamento…

Lamentar (“to be sorry” or “to regret”) is another verb to express empathy in Spanish.

Example: Lamento lo ocurrido (“I’m sorry for what happened.”)

Lamentar belongs to the first Spanish conjugation, the verbs ending in -ar, and it is regular.

Here’s the present tense of lamentar:

Lamentar is generally more formal than sentir and often carries a deeper sense of regret or sadness. You’ll hear it in condolences, formal apologies and serious situations.

For example, both Siento lo de tu padre and Lamento lo de tu padre can mean “I’m sorry about what happened to your father”, but lamento sounds more formal.

If you’re just getting started, use lo siento as your general-purpose expression of regret and learn lamento for more formal or serious moments. Usage varies by region, so listen for the wording people choose around you.

As with lo siento, lamento sometimes comes after lo.

You can then build phrases such as:

• Lo lamento mucho – “I am very sorry.”
• Lo lamento sinceramente – “I am sincerely sorry.”
• Lo lamento profundamente – “I am deeply sorry” (quite formal and serious)

Qué tonto/a soy

¡Qué tonto/a soy! (“How silly of me!”) isn’t a direct translation of “sorry”, but it can acknowledge a small, harmless mistake.

It’s playful and self-deprecating, so don’t use it as your whole apology when someone has genuinely been hurt.

How To Say “Sorry for Your Loss” in Spanish

After a death, a direct condolence is more appropriate than the everyday apologies above. These phrases let you express sympathy with the right level of care.

Here are the main phrases to express sorrow for a loss:

• Lamento tu pérdida. – “I’m sorry for your loss.”
• Lamento la pérdida de tu abuela. – “I’m sorry for the loss of your grandmother.”
• Mi más sentido pésame. – “My deepest condolences.”
• Te acompaño en el sentimiento. – “You have my sympathy” (literally, “I accompany you in your grief”).

How To Say “Excuse Me” in Spanish

If you need to pass through a crowd, interrupt politely or get someone’s attention, Spanish uses several equivalents of “excuse me”.

The form you choose depends mainly on register and region.

Con Permiso

One way you can say “excuse me” is (con) permiso.

Con permiso means “with permission”, so you’re saying: “With your permission, [I’ll squeeze in the line].”

You may also hear permiso on its own. Con permiso is a safe, polite form while you’re still getting used to local preferences.

Permítame…

Permítame… means “allow me…” and uses the formal singular command associated with usted.

Put it before the action you’re asking to take: Permítame pasar (“Allow me to pass”) or Permítame decirle… (“Allow me to tell you…”).

Use permíteme with one person you address as tú, permitidme with a vosotros group in Spain, and permítanme with ustedes.

Disculpe or Perdone

Disculpa, disculpe, perdona and perdone can all introduce a polite interruption or small apology.

Examples:

• Disculpa, tengo una pregunta (“Excuse me, I have a question.”)
• Perdone, necesito pasar (“Excuse me, I have to pass.”)

Use disculpa and perdona with someone you address as tú. Use disculpe and perdone with someone you address as usted. In a voseo region, you may hear disculpá or perdoná.

How To Say “Forgive Me” in Spanish

The two main verbs used to ask for forgiveness are disculpar and perdonar. Perdonar is the more direct word for “forgive”, while disculpar also covers “excuse”.

Disculpar

As you saw above, disculpar can mean “to excuse” or “to pardon”. It works naturally for many everyday apologies.

To say “excuse me” or “forgive me”, choose the command form that matches the person or people you’re addressing, then add me:

• singular tú / vos: disculpa / disculpá → discúlpame / disculpame
• singular formal usted: disculpe → discúlpeme
• plural vosotros in Spain: disculpad → disculpadme
• plural ustedes: disculpen → discúlpenme

Example: Discúlpame por haberte ignorado (“Forgive me for ignoring you.”)

Perdonar

Perdonar means “to forgive” or “to pardon”. Use it when you’re explicitly asking for forgiveness, including after a serious mistake.

Like with disculpar, choose the right form of perdonar and add me:

• singular tú / vos: perdona / perdoná → perdóname / perdoname
• singular formal usted: perdone → perdóneme
• plural vosotros in Spain: perdonad → perdonadme
• plural ustedes: perdonen → perdónenme

Perdonar can be used in many Spanish apology phrases:

• Por favor, perdóname – “Please forgive me.”
• Lo siento, perdóname – “I’m sorry. Forgive me.”
• Perdóname, mi amor – “Forgive me, my love.”
• ¿Me perdonas? – “Do you forgive me?”
• ¿Me perdonarás alguna vez? – “Will you ever forgive me?”
• No sé si podrás perdonarme – “I don’t know if you’ll be able to forgive me.”

Perdón

For a quick apology after bumping into someone or making a small mistake, perdón is often all you need.

When used as a noun, perdón is literally translated as “forgiveness” in English. When used alone as its own expression, it means “I’m sorry” in the sense of “I ask for forgiveness.”

In informal messages, you may see people shorten words in their own way, but perdón is already brief and clear. Write the full word unless you know the habits of the people you’re chatting with.

3 Other Ways to Apologize in Spanish

“My Apologies” in Spanish

As in English, “my apologies” is a slightly more formal way to say “I’m sorry”.

Two useful forms are mis disculpas (“my apologies”) and mil disculpas (“a thousand apologies”). The second adds emphasis.

“I Owe You an Apology” in Spanish

“I owe you an apology” admits that an apology is due, though you’ll still need to follow it with the apology itself.

The Spanish equivalent is Te debo una disculpa.

Te Pido Disculpas and Te Pido Perdón

Pedir disculpas and pedir perdón can both mean “to apologise” or “to ask for forgiveness”. Pedir perdón puts the request for forgiveness more directly, while pedir disculpas is common in everyday and formal apologies.

To make your apology more heartfelt, you can add de corazón (“from the heart”): Te pido disculpas de corazón por haberte ofendido (“I sincerely apologise for offending you”).

How to Forgive in Spanish

This post wouldn’t be complete without a list of ways to reply to an apology.

Here are some common replies:

• No pasa nada – “It’s okay” (literally, “Nothing happens”).
• Está bien – “It’s okay.”
• No te preocupes – “Don’t worry.” (No se preocupe is the formal version.)
• No hay problema – “No problem.”
• Estás perdonado/a – “You’re forgiven.”
• Te perdono – “I forgive you.”
• No importa – “It doesn’t matter.”
• Quedas disculpado/a – “You’re excused.” (This sounds formal.)
• No tienes que disculparte – “You don’t have to apologise.”

Say That You Are Sorry in Spanish

You don’t need to memorise every expression at once. Start with lo siento, perdón, disculpa and perdóname, then match each one to a situation you can picture yourself in.

Say each phrase aloud in a complete sentence, and practise one reply as well. Learning both sides of the exchange makes the language way more useful in a real conversation.

If you want more guided speaking practice, my Language Hacking Spanish course book is built around useful conversations from the start.

You can also practise these phrases with me as your AI tutor and get comfortable choosing the right apology for the moment.