Sorry in Arabic: How to Apologize and Say Excuse Me

01Say I’m sorry

Asif describes the speaker. A woman uses أَنَا آسِفَةٌ عَلَى التَّأْخِيرِ (ana asifa ala attakhir). These reading aids use pause-style asif and asifa; connected formal reading may sound the written case endings.

Choose the form for yourself, not for the person hearing the apology.

02Name the mistake and repair it

An apology becomes clearer when you name what went wrong. After sending the wrong file, for example, you can apologise and say that you will send the correct one. Keep the explanation brief and relevant.

Atadhiru is a standard first-person verb. The form works for a male or female speaker; it does not take the feminine adjective ending of asifa.

03Use excuse me for a small interruption

Udhran and afwan can introduce a polite interruption or request for attention. You are not necessarily admitting a serious fault. If you bump into someone, a brief apology may also be appropriate.

The same afwan can answer thanks, so check the preceding situation. Our afwan guide compares these uses.

04Ask for permission with law samaht

You may hear لو سمحت (law samaht), “please” or “excuse me,” before a request in Egyptian and other spoken varieties. To a woman, Egyptian speech uses law samahti. These forms address the listener.

That contrasts with asif and asifa: those describe the speaker. A man requesting a woman’s attention can therefore use law samahti; a woman apologising to a man still uses asifa.

See please and polite requests for complete examples.

05Separate sympathy from responsibility

English “sorry” can express concern about another person’s bad experience without accepting blame. Arabic can express that concern explicitly instead of relying on a single apology word.

This standard expression acknowledges unwelcome news. Match the seriousness of the situation; a short response to a missed bus and a condolence after a death call for different wording and care.

06Respond to an apology

For a small mistake, this can reassure the speaker. لَا مُشْكِلَةَ (la mushkila), “no problem,” is another standard possibility. Use reassurance when it reflects what you mean.

Afwan is a common reply to thanks, but it is not a universal answer to every apology. A response about the mistake or its repair may be clearer.

07Practise three different situations

Try three short exchanges: you arrived late, you need directions, and a friend tells you disappointing news. First decide whether you are apologising, interrupting, or showing sympathy. Then choose the phrase and any gender form.

Add one practical next step when you caused the problem. “I apologise for the mistake” followed by a clear correction does more communicative work than repeating sorry several times. Review listener endings if the roles become confusing.