Different ways to say sorry

10th of March 2022

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Sometimes saying "I'm sorry," it's just...it's not enough. Or maybe it's just not appropriate. And in English this is also the case. There are different ways to say I'm sorry for different instances. But how do you properly express yourself if you truly are sorry about something you did? Let's find out.

1. "Sorry," or "Sorry about that”

If you just say, "Sorry about that," it's kind of an apology you do in passing. So that is when you use this one for small mistakes.

2. My bad

My bad is a very informal way to apologize. It's almost like a non-apology. It's kind of like saying "Yeah, I've made a little mistake, but I don't care enough about it to apologize."

3. My mistake

And this one kind of means like a breakdown in communication. Again, it's not a very heartfelt or deep apology. It doesn't apply to a very, very, very big mistake that you've made. It's just something small. This can definitely be used in work context. So, you can say "Oh. My mistake I forgot to call you." Or "I didn't give you the the right number." or something. It has to do with smaller mistakes that you do. But that you're still kind of taking responsibility for

 4. I'm so sorry

Just adding that  “so” there in the middle, it just expresses that you care a little bit more. That you've done something, and then it's just it comes off as a lot more genuine than "I'm sorry." Generally speaking, "I'm so sorry" conveys a lot more emotion that "I'm sorry." It's also not as strong as some of the other ones we'll see down this list. So it's kind of for like a medium-sized mistake.

5. I'd like to apologize

Now this one can be safely used in a work context. If you make a mistake, you can always say "I'd like to apologize." It's sincere, it's professional, and it gets the message across.

6. I take full responsibility

This is probably as professional as it comes. It's definitely work approved, so you can use this at work when you've made a mistake. And many times, you can continue it with... I take full responsibility for my actions. I take full responsibility for my behaviour. I take full responsibility for any damage I may have caused.

The reason why I'm adding all of these is because this is probably one of the more formal ways you can apologize. You are being honest. You are being serious. You are willing to admit your mistake. And you are doing it in a professional way. This is a very appropriate way to apologize even in a writing context. So, this being a more formal apology, you can use it in writing like in work emails or letters. This is appropriate.

7. It's all my fault

Now this one is definitely about a serious mistake. It's just not as formal as the previous ones. So, you might not see it in writing, but just speaking. You can use "It's all my fault" in different kinds of relationships usually in close relationships. Like a relationship you may have with your spouse, your husband or wife. Or maybe relationships you have with your family or close friends. If you want to express how you feel, and if you want to truly apologize from the heart, this is a good way to say it.

8. I regret

Regret means feeling sad and repentant and kind of wishing you'd never ever done this mistake. So, you've done something so wrong that you just regret all of the events that led to it and the event itself. And you just kind of wish it never existed. Now this we hear all the time in connection with romantic relationships. It's one of those words that just comes with it. I regret. But it can also be a reflection, like things that you've done in your life that you regret. That you wish you hadn't done.

9. Forgive me

Now again, this is usually said after making a bigger mistake. We hear this a lot in the context of family or the context of a romantic relationship where there's potential for many, many mistakes. Many serious mistakes of that. Sometimes we can find it as "I hope you can forgive me," or "I beg you to forgive me."

Okay, so now that you know how to apologize for different situations, I want to practice what we've learned. I'm going to give you a situation, and in the comments, I want you to respond with the appropriate apology using any one of the nine we discussed in this lesson.

Here is the situation. You borrow your friends expensive new iPhone, and you dropped it on the ground and it broke. How would you respond? What would you tell your friend? Use one of the apologies that we talked about in this lesson to properly express how sorry you are for destroying your friend's new expensive phone.