ECSTRA/Apologizing

1. Phrases for Apologizing

2. Typical cases where you have to apologize:

A. when you have touched someone by accident

B. when you have come too close to someone by accident

C. when you address someone to ask him an information question

D. when you address someone to request something from him/her

E. when you have done something wrong

F. when you have forgotten something

G. when you have broken a promise

H. when you have made too much noise

I. when you arrive after the fixed time for a meeting/date/appointment

(Please remember our guidelines.)

AT: Austria

Vienna, Lower Austria (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Es tut mir (schrecklich/echt) leid, 2. Verzeihen Sie das Missgeschick, 3. Bitte verzeihen Sie, 4. Entschuldigung, 5. Entschuldigen Sie (vielmals), 6. Sorry, 7. Pardon, 8. Verzeihung, 9. Ich bitte vielmals um Entschuldigung
• (2) A: 9, 6, 7; B: 4, 5; C: 5; D: 5; E: 1, 2; F: 5, 9; G: 5, 9; F: 6, 5

BE: Belgium

French, in Brussels (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Pardon, 2. Désolé, 3. Je m'excuse, 4. Je vous prie de m'excuser, 5. Déso, 6. Je suis désolé, 7. Excusez-moi, 8. Je suis vraiment désolé, 9. Sorry
• (2) A: 1; B: 7; C: 1, 7; D: 7; E: 6; F: 6; G: 8; H: 6; other situations: 4 (very polite, in writing letters)

German, in Brussels (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) Entschuldige bitte/Entschuldigen Sie bitte, 2. Sorry, 3. Pardon
• (2) you apologize in situations A, B, D, E, F, G

CH: Switzerland

Lausanne (French-speaking area) (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. excusez-moi, 2. je m'excuse, 3. je vous prie de m'excuser, 4. pardon, 5. sorry (rarely)
• (2) A: 1 2 4; B: 1 2 4; C: s'il vous plaît; D: J'ai un service / quelque chose à vous demander; E: 1 3; F: 1 3; G: 3 + explanation; H: 3 + explanation

CZ: Czech Republic

Bohemia (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Promiňte 'Excuse', 2. To je mi líto 'I'm sorry', 3. Je mi to moc líto 'I am very sorry', 4. Sorry (among close friends), 5. Pardón

DE: Germany

Bremen (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Tut mir leid, 2. Entschuldige/Entschuldigen Sie, 3. Sorry, 4. Pardon (rather infrequent)
• (2) you apologize in all of the given situations

south (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Entschuldigung, 2. Tut mir leid, 3. Entschuldige/Entschuldigen Sie, 4. Pardon, 5. Sorry, 6. Verzeihung
• (2) A: 1, 2, 4, 5; B: --; C: 1, (3); D: 1, 3; E: 1, 2, 5; F: 1, 2, 5; G: 1, 2, 5; H_ 1, 2, 3, 5, 7

Saxony (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Sorry, 2. Entschuldige Sie bitte/Entschuldige, 3. Verzeihung, 4. Entschuldigung, 5. Tut mir leid, 6. Pardon (but rarely)
• (2) A + B: 1-3, 6 (to strangers in the street); D: 3, 4; E: 5, 2; F: 5, 2; G: 5; H: 4

DK: Denmark

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EE: Estonia

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ES: Spain

Andalucía (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Perdón/Perdone usted, 2. Lo siente, 3. Discúlpa(me), 4. Lo siento mucho - (Sorry and Pardon do not exist)
• (2) A + B + D: 3; C: 3, 1; E + F: 1, 3; G: 4; H: 1

Castilia y León (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Perdón (informal), 2. Lo siento (informal), 3. Perdone (formal), 4. Lo lamento, 5. Disculpe (formal), 6. Disculpa (informal) - (Sorry and Pardon do not exist)
• (2) A: 1, 5, 6; B: 1; C: 5; D: 3, Perdona; E + F: 2; G: 3, Perdona(me); H: Lamento las molestias

FI: Finland

West Finland (Swedish-speaking area) (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Förlåt, 2. Ursäkta mig 'Excuse me', 3. (Jag är) ledsen '(I am) sorry', 4. Det var inte meningen 'That was not intention', 5. sorry (but very rarely) -- (pardon doesn't exist)
• (2) A: 1 4; C: 2; D: 2; E: 4; F: 1; G: 1 3; H: 2; other situations: apologizing for your (or a friend's or a relative's) behavior

Finnish-speaking area (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Anteeksi, 2. Sori/Sorry, 3. Ups, 4. Oho -- (pardon doesn't exist)
• (2) A: 1 2 3; B: 1 2; C: 1; D: 1; E: 1, F: 1 2; G: 1 2; H: 1 3; other situations: spilling something 1 2 3 4

FR: France

Paris (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Pardon, 2. Excuse-moi/Excusez-moi, 3. Pardonne(z)-moi, 4. Je suis désolé, 5. Désolé, 6. Toutes mes excuses, 7. Veuillez m'excuser, 8. Je m'excuse, 9. sorry (but rarely!)
• (2) A + B + C + D: 1, 2; B: also 1 and 5; D: also 4; E + F: Je m'excuse, 1, 2, 4, 5; G: Ne m'en veux pas/ne m'en veuillez pas, Je suis vraiment désolé, 1, 2, 4, 3; H: Ne m'en veux pas/ne m'en veuillez pas, 3, je vous demande pardon, 1, 5, 2; in other situations also mille excuses apart from 1 and 2

HR: Croatia

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HU: Hungary

• (1) 1. Elnézést (kérek). 2. Ne haragugy (among friends) / ne haragugyon. 3. Bocsánat. 4. Bocsi (among friends). 5. Sajnálom 'Es tut mir leid'. 6. Párdon (but not very common) (ECSTRA-Q)
• (2) A: 1, 3; B: -; C: 1, 3; D: 1, 3; E: 1, 2, 3, 5; F: 1, 2, 3, 5; G: 1, 2, 3, 5; H: 1, 2, 3 (ECSTRA-Q)

IE: Ireland

Dublin (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1): 1. Sorry, 2. Excuse me, 3. Forgive me, 4. Pardon me
• (2): 1: A B C D E F G H; 2: C D; 3: E

IT: Italy

Lombardy (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. scusa, 2. mi scusi, 3. scusami, 4. perdonami, 5. mi dispiace, 6. ops, 7. Sorry (among young people, sometimes for irony), 8. Pardon
• (2) 1. A + B: 1, 2, 3, 6; C: 1, 2; D: 1, E: 4, 5; F: 3, 4, 5, 6; G: 4, 5; H: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Sicily (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Scusi/Scusa 'Excuse', 2. Scusatemi, 3. Pardon!, 4. Sorry!

LT: Lithuania

• (1) 1. formal: atsipraschone vs. informal atsipraschau (ECSTRA-Q)

LU: Luxemburg

• (1) 1. Pardon, 2. Oh, pardon, 3. Et deet mer leed, 4. Sorry (among young people), 5. Entschellegt (rather among elderly people)
• (2) A: 2, B: 1, 2; C + D: 1, 5; E + F + G + H: 1, 3

LV: Latvia

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MT: Malta

• (1) 1. Skuzani, 2. Jiddispjacini, 3. Sorry (ECSTRA-Q)
• (2) A 3; B: 3; C: 1; D: 1; E: 2; F: 2; G: 2; H: 1; otherwise 3 (ECSTRA-Q)

NL: Netherlands

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NO: Norway

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PL: Poland

Informand without indication of his home region (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) "Excuse me", (2) Sory (among teenagers), (3) "Forgiveness!", (4) "I am sorry"
• (2) A: 2; B: 3; C: 1 3; D: 1; E: 3, "I want to apologize now"; F: 4

Silesia (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) "Excuse me", (2) Sory (among teenagers), (3) "Forgiveness!", (4) "I am sorry", (5) Pardon
• (2) A: 5, B: 1; C: 1; D: 1; E: 3; F: 4; G: 3; H: 3; arriving late: 1

PT: Portugal

Alentejo (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Desculpa/Desculpe 'Excuse', 2. Perdoa-me/Perdoe-me 'Pardon me', 3. Peço desculpa (formal), 4. perdão, 5. Desculpa me/Desculpe me
• (2) A: 1 5; B: 1 5; C: 1 3; D: 1; E: 1 3; F: 1 5; G: 1 5 + por favor, H: 3

SE: Sweden

• (1) 1. Förlåt, 2. Jag är ledsen, 3. Ursäkta -- (pardon does not exist) (ECSTRA-Q)
• (2) C: 3; D: 3; E: various forms; F: various forms; G: 1; H: 2 (ECSTRA-Q)

SI: Slovenia

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SK: Slovakia

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UK: United Kingdom

Cambridgeshire (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. sorry, 2. excuse me, 3. pardon
• (2) 1: A, B, E, F, G, H; 2: C, D

Glasgow, Scotland (ECSTRA-Q)

• (1) 1. Sorry, 2. I do apologize, 3. I'm sorry, 4. Excuse me, 5. I'm so sorry, 6. I beg your pardon, 7. Pardon
• (2) 3: A G; 3: D F H; I'm really sorry: B E; 4: A B C D; 1: E F G H; 6: E F G H

Non-European Nations

Colombia

• (1) 1. Lo siento mucho., 2. Excúse me, 3. Lo lamento, 4. Disculpeme, 5. Que pena, 6. Le pido excuses, 7. Le ofrezco mis disculpas, 8. Perdón, 9. Sorry (informal, abong friends or close colleagues) (ECSTRA-Q)
• (2) A: 8 2; B: 8 2 5; C: 2 4; D: 2 4; E: 1 3 5 6 7; F: 1 5 6 7; G: 1 3; H: 2 5 7

Greece

• (1) 1. Syggyóme, 2. Me sygkhoureís/Me sygkhoureíte, 3. soree, 4. mparnton (Sorry and Pardon do not exist)
• (2) A - H: 1, 2 (ECSTRA-Q)

Lebanon

• (1) 1. "I'm sorry, excuse me.", 2. "I didn't mean that.", 3. "I beg your pardon", 4. "Forgive me", 5. Pardon, 6. Sorry. (actually much more frequent than the Arabic word) (ECSTRA-Q)
• (2) A: 5 6; B: Oops! Sorry!; C: --; D: --; E: Yi! Sorry sorry!; F: "Please forgive me but I didn't mean to forget"; G: "You have all the right to be mad at me" (ECSTRA-Q)