ECSTRA/Apologizing
< ECSTRA
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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EE: Estonia edit
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ES: Spain edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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HU: Hungary edit
- (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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
- (1) 1. formal: atsipraschone vs. informal atsipraschau (ECSTRA-Q)
LU: Luxemburg edit
- (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 edit
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MT: Malta edit
- (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 edit
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NO: Norway edit
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PL: Poland edit
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 edit
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 edit
- (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 edit
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SK: Slovakia edit
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UK: United Kingdom edit
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 edit
Colombia edit
- (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 edit
- (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 edit
- (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)