To say sorry in French, say je suis désolé (zhuh swee day-zo-LAY), or je suis désolée if you are a woman; both sound the same. Désolé(e) on its own is the everyday short form. For a tiny slip, such as bumping into someone, pardon is enough. To ask for forgiveness, say pardonne-moi (tu) or pardonnez-moi (vous).
- I'm sorry
- je suis désolé(e)
- Sorry (short)
- désolé(e)
- Oops, sorry
- pardon
- Forgive me
- pardonne-moi / pardonnez-moi
- Level
- A1
Which French sorry fits the mistake?
French grades its apologies by how much is at stake. A trodden-on toe gets pardon; a late arrival gets désolé; a broken promise gets a full sentence, often with vraiment (really).
| French | Strength | Typical moment |
|---|---|---|
| Pardon | Light | Bumping into someone, a slip of the tongue |
| Désolé(e) | Everyday | Being late, a wrong number, saying no to a request |
| Je suis vraiment désolé(e) | Sincere | You let someone down |
| Je m'excuse | Everyday | Common in speech; some consider it less correct |
| Excusez-moi / Excuse-moi | Polite | Interrupting, or a small inconvenience |
| Pardonne-moi / Pardonnez-moi | Deep | Asking forgiveness for something serious |
| Navré(e) | Formal | Customer service, letters: "I'm terribly sorry" |
Sometimes the apology goes unspoken. In this A1 story, Julien has to leave with his uncle, who is up to something, and he cannot explain to Sophie:
Ses yeux disent : Je suis désolé.Julien is a man, so désolé has no extra e. Sophie would write je suis désolée.
How do you say sorry for something specific?
Use désolé pour with a noun and désolé de with a verb. For something already done, the verb goes into the past infinitive: désolé d'être en retard (sorry I'm late) uses être, désolé de t'avoir réveillé (sorry I woke you) uses avoir.
Désolé pour le retard.
Sorry for the delay.
Désolée d'être en retard.
Sorry I'm late.
A woman speaking.
Pardon de vous avoir dérangé.
Sorry to have disturbed you.
C'est ma faute.
It's my fault.
In speech you will also hear c'est de ma faute.
Je ne l'ai pas fait exprès.
I didn't do it on purpose.
Is je m'excuse correct?
It is extremely common, and most people say it without a second thought. The objection is logical: s'excuser is "to excuse oneself", and a stickler will say you cannot excuse yourself, only ask others to excuse you. In a job interview or a formal letter, je vous prie de m'excuser or veuillez m'excuser avoids the debate.
The verb itself is perfectly normal for talking about apologies. A letter from a school time capsule, in a B1 Contos mystery, makes a list of predictions for the weekend, and one is:
Un vieux rival s'excusera.How do you accept an apology in French?
The answers range from "it's nothing" to a full reassurance. For the polite replies to a quick pardon, see how to say excuse me in French.
Ce n'est rien.
It's nothing.
Ça arrive.
It happens.
T'inquiète.
Don't worry about it.
Very informal, short for ne t'inquiète pas.
Je ne t'en veux pas.
I'm not angry with you.
J'accepte tes excuses.
I accept your apology.
Rather formal; can sound stiff between friends.
Read A1 French stories where characters apologise, argue and make up, and tap any word for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce désolé?
Say "day-zo-LAY". The s between two vowels sounds like a z, and both é sounds are a clear "ay". Désolée, with the extra e, is pronounced exactly the same.
How do you say sorry for your loss in French?
Toutes mes condoléances (my sincere condolences) is the standard phrase. Among friends, people also say je suis vraiment désolé(e) or je pense bien à toi (I'm thinking of you).
Does désolé change for plural?
Yes, in writing. A group of men or a mixed group writes nous sommes désolés; a group of women, nous sommes désolées. The pronunciation does not change.
What is the difference between pardon and désolé?
Pardon is a quick, light sorry, or a way to ask someone to repeat. Désolé expresses regret: you are sorry about what happened, not just excusing a bump.