How to Say Sorry in German: 15+ Apologies and Excuse Me Expressions

The Short Answer

The most versatile way to say sorry in German is Entschuldigung (ent-SHOOL-dee-goong). It functions as both "sorry" and "excuse me," making it the single most useful apology word you can learn. For a heartfelt, genuine apology, switch to Es tut mir leid (it causes me sorrow).

German is spoken by roughly 135 million people worldwide across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and parts of Belgium and Italy, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. Across all these regions, the mechanics of apologizing follow the same core structure, but regional flavor, the du/Sie distinction, and cultural attitudes toward apologies create meaningful differences.

"German speakers tend to apologize less frequently than English speakers, but when they do, the apology carries more weight. The act of saying Entschuldigung is a genuine request to be relieved of guilt, not a social reflex."

(Penelope Brown & Stephen Levinson, Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage, Cambridge University Press, 1987)

This guide covers 15+ German apology and excuse me expressions organized by category: standard, sincere, formal, casual, and regional variants. Each includes pronunciation, formality level, an example sentence, and cultural context.

Quick Reference: German Apologies at a Glance

Standard Apologies

These are the everyday apology expressions that every German learner needs. According to the Duden dictionary, Entschuldigung ranks among the 500 most frequently used German words.

Entschuldigung

Entschuldigung is one of the most etymologically fascinating words in German. Break it apart: Ent- (un-, removal) + Schuld (guilt) + -igung (noun suffix). You are literally asking someone to "un-guilt" you, to remove the burden of fault. This reflects a Germanic cultural attitude where apologies are not throwaway social niceties but genuine acknowledgments of responsibility.

Use it to get someone's attention on the street, to apologize for bumping into someone on the U-Bahn, or as a lead-in when interrupting a conversation. It is the single most important apology word in German.

Entschuldige

This is the du-form, the version you use with friends, family, and anyone you are on informal terms with. In spoken German, it often gets further shortened to just 'Tschuldige in rapid speech.

Entschuldigen Sie

The formal counterpart. The pronoun Sie (always capitalized) signals respect and social distance. Use this with strangers, in shops, at offices, and with anyone you would address formally. Adding bitte (please) after it makes it even more courteous: Entschuldigen Sie bitte.

Sincere Apologies

When Entschuldigung is not enough (when you need to express genuine regret, empathy, or sorrow), these expressions carry real emotional weight.

Es tut mir leid

Es tut mir leid is where German apologies get personal. The literal meaning ("it does me sorrow") reveals that you are not just acknowledging a mistake but expressing that the situation causes you genuine pain. This is what you say when you cancel plans last minute, when you deliver bad news, or when offering condolences.

The word Leid (suffering, sorrow) is the same root as in Mitleid (compassion, literally "with-suffering"). When a German says Es tut mir leid, they are not being reflexively polite; they are communicating that they share in the discomfort of the situation.

Es tut mir sehr leid

Adding sehr (very) intensifies the expression for situations that call for a weightier apology. Use this for professional mistakes, serious misunderstandings, or when extending condolences. You can further intensify it with wirklich (really): Es tut mir wirklich sehr leid (I'm really very sorry).

Das war mein Fehler

Germans value directness, and this phrase delivers exactly that: a clear, unambiguous acceptance of blame. In professional settings, Das war mein Fehler is often more respected than elaborate apologies because it demonstrates accountability without evasion.

Formal Apologies

Reserved for serious situations, professional contexts, or when you want to express the deepest level of contrition. These expressions carry significant weight in German and should not be used lightly.

Verzeihung

Verzeihung steps up the formality from Entschuldigung. While Entschuldigung asks someone to remove your guilt, Verzeihung asks for forgiveness, a heavier request. You will encounter it frequently in written German, formal speeches, and in situations where deference matters.

Verzeihen Sie mir

This is an explicit request for forgiveness directed at a specific person using the formal Sie. Reserve it for significant professional apologies, formal letters, or situations where you have genuinely inconvenienced someone important. In everyday conversation, this would sound overly dramatic.

Ich bitte um Verzeihung

The most formal standard apology in German. You will hear this in official statements, company apologies, and formal correspondence. In everyday life, using Ich bitte um Verzeihung at a coffee shop would raise eyebrows. Save it for situations that genuinely warrant it.

Casual and Colloquial Apologies

The informal side of German apologies: what you will actually hear on the streets of Berlin, in university hallways, and among friends.

Tschuldigung

Drop the Ent- and you get Tschuldigung, the clipped, casual version that flows naturally in fast speech. This is what you will hear most often in real life: someone bumps you on the tram and mutters Tschuldigung as they pass. It is universally understood and carries no risk of being perceived as too formal or too casual.

Sorry

Yes, the English word Sorry has been adopted wholesale into German casual speech. The Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS) has tracked this trend as part of the broader wave of English loanwords entering everyday German. Younger speakers, particularly in cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, use Sorry almost as frequently as Tschuldigung for minor mishaps.

The pronunciation shifts to a more German sound: ZOH-ree rather than the English SAH-ree. It is strictly casual; you would never use it in a formal letter or with a superior.

Mein Fehler

Short, direct, and casual: the German equivalent of "my bad." Use it among friends and familiar colleagues when you want to quickly own a minor mistake without making a big production of it.

Das wollte ich nicht

This is the go-to phrase when you need to clarify that whatever happened was unintentional. Whether you accidentally stepped on someone's foot or said something that came out wrong, Das wollte ich nicht makes clear that the offense was not deliberate.

Austrian and Swiss Variants

German is a pluricentric language: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland each have their own standard varieties. As Michael Clyne documents in The German Language in a Changing Europe, these regional standards affect everything from vocabulary to politeness conventions.

Entschuldigen S'

Austrian German has a distinctive way of softening the formal Sie by clipping it to S'. This creates a tone that is formally polite yet warmly approachable, a hallmark of Austrian social interaction. You will hear Entschuldigen S' constantly in Vienna's coffee houses, shops, and streets. It occupies a unique middle ground between casual and formal that standard German does not quite have.

Excusez

In Switzerland, the four-language reality of the country bleeds into daily speech. In bilingual cantons like Bern, Fribourg, and Valais (where German and French speakers share spaces), the French Excusez has become a natural part of Swiss German conversation. It reflects Switzerland's pragmatic multilingualism rather than any particular formality level.

How to Respond to German Apologies

Knowing how to accept an apology is just as important as knowing how to give one.

The most universally safe response is Kein Problem (no problem), which works across all formality levels and regions. In southern Germany and Austria, Passt schon (it's fine, literally "it fits already") is the warm, casual default.

When to Use Which Apology

Choosing the right apology depends on the severity of the situation and your relationship with the other person.

Practice With Real German Content

Reading about apologies is helpful, but hearing them spoken in natural conversation is what builds real fluency. German-language films and TV shows are an excellent resource. Listen for Entschuldigung in casual street scenes and Es tut mir leid in dramatic moments. Shows like Dark, Babylon Berlin, and Der Tatortreiniger showcase the full range of German apology registers.

Wordy lets you watch German movies and shows with interactive subtitles. You can tap on any apology expression to see its meaning, pronunciation, and formality level in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from authentic conversations with native intonation.

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