To apologise in Italian, say Scusa (SKOO-zah) to someone you call tu and Scusi (SKOO-zee) to someone you address as Lei. Mi dispiace (mee dees-PYAH-cheh) is a fuller "I'm sorry" for real regret, and it is also how Italians express sympathy. Chiedo scusa means "I apologise" and suits both formal and serious moments.
- Sorry (tu)
- Scusa / Scusami
- Sorry (Lei)
- Scusi / Mi scusi
- I'm sorry (regret, sympathy)
- Mi dispiace
- I apologise
- Chiedo scusa
- Level
- A1
Scusa or mi dispiace: which sorry do you need?
Scusa asks for pardon: you bumped someone, you're late, you interrupted. Mi dispiace says you feel bad about something, literally "it displeases me". A spilt coffee needs scusa; a broken promise or bad news needs mi dispiace.
| Italian | Register | Strength | Typical moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scusa! | Informal (tu) | Light | Bumping into a friend, a small mistake |
| Scusami | Informal (tu) | A bit stronger | "Forgive me": you feel genuinely bad |
| Scusi! / Mi scusi | Formal (Lei) | Light to medium | A stranger, a shop assistant, an older person |
| Scusate | Plural | Light | Apologising to a group |
| Chiedo scusa | Neutral to formal | Medium | "I apologise": in public, at work, in writing |
| Mi dispiace | Any | Medium | Regret, bad news, sympathy |
| Mi dispiace tanto / molto | Any | Strong | Real remorse or deep sympathy |
| Perdonami / Mi perdoni | tu / Lei | Strongest | Asking for forgiveness |
The two often travel together. In chapter 1 of a Contos B2 romance, a baker from the rival bakery across the street returns a sack of flour delivered to the wrong door before dawn, and apologises far more than he needs to:
«Scusa, scusa davvero», sussurrò. «Il camionista ha sbagliato porta. Te l'ho portato subito, ma ho fatto rumore, mi dispiace.»How do you say what you're sorry for?
Scusa takes a noun directly (scusa il ritardo) or se plus a verb (scusa se ti disturbo). Mi dispiace takes per plus a noun, di plus an infinitive, or che plus the subjunctive.
Scusa se ti disturbo.
Sorry to bother you.
Scusami per ieri sera.
Sorry about last night.
Mi scusi per l'attesa.
Sorry for the wait.
Formal, Lei.
Mi dispiace di non essere venuta.
I'm sorry I didn't come.
Venuta for a woman, venuto for a man.
Mi dispiace che tu stia male.
I'm sorry you're not feeling well.
Stia is the subjunctive of stare.
The most common one is lateness. In a Contos A2 mystery set in a Bologna bookshop, Tommaso rushes in one morning with wet hair and three books in his hands:
"Scusa il ritardo!" dice Tommaso.When does mi dispiace mean sympathy, not apology?
When the bad thing is not your fault. Mi dispiace is how you react to someone's bad news, how you refuse an invitation kindly, and how you express condolences.
Mi dispiace molto per tuo nonno.
I'm so sorry about your grandfather.
Mi dispiace, ma stasera non posso.
I'm sorry, but I can't tonight.
A polite refusal.
Ci dispiace, il negozio è chiuso.
We're sorry, the shop is closed.
Written apologies can use it too. In a Contos A1 mystery, a 78-year-old woman finds an unsigned note in her building's laundry room, from the person who has been taking things:
"Signora Rossini, mi dispiace molto. Ho bisogno di denaro. Sono in difficoltà. Non voglio rubare. Ma devo aiutare mia madre in Siria. Il denaro non basta mai. Mi perdoni."How do you accept an apology in Italian?
Prego is the reply to thanks, not to sorry. When someone apologises, reassure them instead.
Non fa niente.
It doesn't matter.
The everyday answer.
Non ti preoccupare.
Don't worry about it.
Informal. To someone you address as Lei: Non si preoccupi.
Tranquillo! / Tranquilla!
No worries!
Casual; the ending matches the person you're reassuring.
Figurati!
Don't mention it!
To get a stranger's attention rather than apologise, the words overlap but the use is different: see how to say excuse me in Italian.
Read A1 Italian stories and tap any word, including every scusa, for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between scusa and scusi?
Only the person you are speaking to. Scusa is the tu form, for friends, family and children. Scusi is the Lei form, for strangers and anyone you treat formally. Both mean sorry or excuse me.
How do you pronounce scusa?
"SKOO-zah", stressed on the first syllable. Between vowels, the s sounds like a z in much of northern Italy and closer to an s in the centre and south. Both are correct.
Is mi dispiace too strong for small things?
Usually, yes. For stepping on someone's foot, scusa or scusi is the natural word. Mi dispiace suggests real regret or sympathy, though Italians do use it in polite refusals.
How do you say sorry when you didn't hear?
Say Scusa? or Scusi?, or simply Come? (what?). To someone you address as Lei, Prego? also works and sounds very polite.