Politeness in any situation is a hallmark of a well-mannered person. All over the world, having caused anyone inconvenience, you should apologize. And asking for forgiveness for the anxiety, for example, asking a question or asking, you will show yourself in the most favorable light. Having gone abroad or just having a conversation with native English speakers, you may notice that they ask for forgiveness much more often than you and I do. Why this happens, as well as options for saying “sorry” in English, in which situations they use certain phrases, we will consider in our article. This topic is very simple, it is enough to memorize several phrases and remember the most frequent and relevant situations of their use.
"Sorry" in English: we express politeness correctly
You probably know that the most common words in our case are “sorry” and “excuse me”. It is important to remember that the first is used when, say, you already have something to forgive. For example, you accidentally pushed a passenger in a vehicle, stepped on someone's foot. In this case, it would be more appropriate to say: "I am sorry." If you are very sorry for what you have done, say: "I am so sorry." Also in some other situations, the expressions suggested below can be used.
- I am sorry to have interrupted you - Sorry for interrupting you.
- My mom is sick - My mother is sick. I am sorry to hear that - I'm sorry to hear that.
"Sorry to bother you" in English can be expressed in another word, namely "excuse me". If you want to ask, for example, what time is it, how to get to a certain destination, interrupt someone’s conversation, and so on, then this combination should and should be used, for example:
- Excuse me, what time is it? - Excuse me, what time is it now?
- Excuse me, how can we get to Trafalgar Square? - Excuse me, how do we get to Trafalgar Square?
Remember! In a situation where you accidentally sneezed, "sorry" in English will be expressed by the combination of "excuse me".
Of course, there are other forms of polite apology. Let's look at such situations.
How else can you say sorry in English
In a situation where you have not heard something, or misunderstood, it would be appropriate to ask: "Pardon me?" This in Russian equivalent means: "I'm sorry (could you please repeat again)?" The word "pardon" itself is of French origin and can be used as a noun and as a verb. By the way, this form of politeness is considered more refined and sophisticated. Examples:
- I beg you pardon - I apologize.
- Pardon me - I'm sorry (me).
Consider the dialogue:
- What is your full name? - What is your name (i.e. first and last name)?
- Sriniwasan Lakshminarashimhan - Srinivasan Lakshminarashimhan
- Pardon me? - Sorry?
- Wait, better I will spell it for you - Wait, I better spell it out for you.
When are you really to blame ...
Another word - "apologize" - is used in the case when your fault is extremely serious, or you make an official written apology. It must be said that this form is rarely used in ordinary colloquial speech. Examples:
- I bring my apologize for the damage my car has done to your bike - I apologize for the damage my car caused to your motorcycle.
- Our office will be closed this Tuesday. The company apologize for any inconvenience - Our office will be closed this Tuesday. The company apologizes for the inconvenience.
Now you are familiar with how to use the word "sorry" in different situations. Translation into English of this expression will be different. Be sure to remember the difference between "sorry" and "excuse me", as well as the use of combinations with "pardon". After all, you need to be polite always and everywhere.