Dictionary / French / I'm sorry
How to Say "I'm sorry" in French
Je suis désolé(e)
/ʒə sɥi de.zɔ.le/
Literally: I am sorry
Je
I
suis
am
désolé(e)
sorry, upset
Good to know
A woman writes désolée, with an extra e. It sounds exactly the same. Désolé on its own is a common short form. You will also hear je m'excuse. Some people say it is not correct, because you should ask to be excused (excusez-moi) rather than excuse yourself, but many speakers use it every day. Excusez-moi is the safe choice.
Correct
Je suis désolé(e)
What people say wrong
Pardon
Excuse me, sorry (for a bump or to get past)
The mistake to avoid. Pardon is for small things. You say it when you bump into someone, step past them on the metro, or missed what they said. It is not how you apologise for something that matters. If you are late, broke something, or hurt someone, say je suis désolé, or je suis vraiment désolé to make it stronger. To say what you are sorry for, add de: je suis désolé du retard, or with a verb, je suis désolé d'être en retard.
In context
Je suis désolée, je ne peux pas venir ce soir.
I'm sorry, I can't come tonight.
Pardon, je peux passer ?
Excuse me, can I get past?
Je suis vraiment désolé d'être en retard.
I'm really sorry I'm late.