How do you say sorry in Spanish?

It depends. Lo siento for sincere apology or sympathy. Perdón / perdona / perdone for minor accidents or brief interruptions. Disculpa / disculpe for getting attention or small inconveniences.

What's the difference between lo siento and perdón?

Lo siento = genuine apology or sympathy (I feel it). Perdón = excuse me / pardon, for minor things, bumping, slipping. Lo siento has more emotional weight; perdón is for trivial inconveniences.

What's the difference between perdón and disculpa?

Both mean excuse me / pardon, very similar. Disculpa / disculpe is slightly more formal and commonly used to get attention (Disculpe, señor). Perdón is also fine for that. Largely interchangeable.

How do I apologize formally in Spanish?

Mil disculpas (a thousand pardons), Le pido disculpas (I apologize to you, formal), Lo lamento mucho (I deeply regret it), Acepte mis sinceras disculpas (accept my sincere apologies). Use usted forms.

How do I express condolences in Spanish?

Mis condolencias (my condolences, formal). Lo siento mucho (I'm so sorry). Lo siento por tu pérdida (sorry for your loss). Te acompaño en el sentimiento (I'm with you in your sorrow, very respectful).

Spanish grammar · Beginner

How to Say Sorry in Spanish: Lo Siento, Perdón, Disculpa

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Lo siento (I'm sorry) is for genuine apology or sympathy. Perdón / perdona / disculpa (excuse me / pardon) is for minor accidents, getting attention, or small inconveniences. Lo siento mucho intensifies sincere apology.

Lo siento, perdón.

I'm sorry, excuse me.

What it is

Spanish has different sorries: Lo siento (genuine apology / sympathy), Perdón / perdona / perdone (excuse me / pardon, for minor things or to get attention), Disculpa / disculpe (excuse me, similar to perdón). Lo siento mucho = I'm very sorry (sincere).

Lo siento (sincere) vs. Perdón (minor / excuse me) vs. Disculpa (excuse me).

How to spot it

Sincere apology: lo siento, lo siento mucho, lo siento de verdad. Minor / accidental: perdón, perdona (informal), perdone (formal). Getting attention: disculpa (informal), disculpe (formal). Sympathy: lo siento (for losses).

Lo siento mucho. — I'm very sorry.
Perdón. (bumping into someone) — Excuse me / pardon.
Disculpe, ¿la hora? — Excuse me, the time?

Lo siento for real apology / sympathy. Perdón or disculpa for minor inconveniences or to get someone's attention.

How to Say Sorry in Spanish Quick Reference

Saying sorry in Spanish

Expression	Use	Context
Lo siento	I'm sorry (genuine)	Sincere apology or sympathy
Lo siento mucho	I'm very sorry	Stronger sincere apology
Perdón	Pardon / sorry	Minor accident, bump, slip
Perdona / perdone	Excuse me	Informal / formal interruption
Disculpa / disculpe	Excuse me	Informal / formal attention
Mil disculpas	A thousand pardons	Formal apology
Lo lamento	I regret it	Formal / sincere
Mis condolencias	My condolences	For a death

Common How to Say Sorry in Spanish Examples in Spanish

Saying sorry in Spanish, by context:

Genuine Apology (Lo Siento)

Lo siento.: I'm sorry.
Lo siento mucho.: I'm very sorry.
Lo siento de verdad.: I'm truly sorry.
Siento mucho lo ocurrido.: I'm very sorry for what happened.
Te pido disculpas.: I apologize to you.

Lo siento is for sincere apology or sympathy. Add mucho / de verdad for emphasis.

Minor / Accidental (Perdón)

Perdón.: Sorry / Excuse me. (bumping someone)
Perdón, no te oí.: Sorry, I didn't hear you.
Perdona, ¿qué dijiste?: Sorry, what did you say?
Perdone la molestia.: Sorry for the bother.
Perdón por llegar tarde.: Sorry for being late.

Perdón / perdona (informal) / perdone (formal) for minor mistakes, accidents, or interrupting briefly.

Getting Attention (Disculpa)

Disculpa, ¿tienes la hora?: Excuse me, do you have the time?
Disculpe, señor.: Excuse me, sir.
Disculpa por molestarte.: Sorry for bothering you.
Disculpe, ¿dónde está el baño?: Excuse me, where's the bathroom?

Disculpa (informal) / disculpe (formal) to get someone's attention or apologize for a small inconvenience. Similar to perdón.

Formal / Strong Apology

Mil disculpas.: A thousand pardons.
Te / Le pido mil disculpas.: I apologize a thousand times.
Lo lamento mucho.: I deeply regret it.
Acepta mis sinceras disculpas.: Accept my sincere apologies.
Mis condolencias. (for a death): My condolences.

For serious apologies or formal contexts. Mis condolencias is specifically for offering sympathy on a death.

Lo Siento vs. Perdón vs. Disculpa

Lo Siento = Sincere Apology

Lo siento is for genuine apology or sympathy. Use when you've done something wrong or feel for someone's loss. Lo siento mucho = I'm very sorry (stronger).

Lo siento por lo que pasó.

I'm sorry for what happened.

Lo siento = real apology / sympathy.

Perdón = Minor / Accidental

Perdón for minor things: bumping into someone, brief interruption, small mistake. Perdona (tú), perdone (usted) when asking forgiveness directly.

Perdón, no quería pisarte.

Sorry, I didn't mean to step on you.

Perdón = minor.

Disculpa = Excuse Me / Get Attention

Disculpa (informal) / disculpe (formal) to get someone's attention or for small inconveniences. Similar to perdón but slightly more formal.

Disculpe, ¿dónde está la estación?

Excuse me, where's the station?

Disculpa = excuse me.

Sympathy: Lo Siento + Reason

For offering sympathy (after a loss, bad news): Lo siento mucho (I'm very sorry), Mis condolencias (my condolences, for death), Lo siento por tu pérdida (I'm sorry for your loss).

Lo siento mucho por tu padre.

I'm so sorry about your father.

Lo siento + por for sympathy.

Common Mistakes with How to Say Sorry in Spanish

Incorrect: Lo siento. (bumping into someone) — I'm sorry.

Correct: Perdón. / Disculpa. — Excuse me / pardon.

Lo siento for minor accidents is overkill. Save lo siento for genuine apologies or sympathy. For bumps / minor interruptions, use perdón or disculpa.

Incorrect: Perdón por tu pérdida. (offering condolences) — Sorry for your loss.

Correct: Lo siento mucho por tu pérdida. — I'm so sorry for your loss.

Perdón for sympathy is wrong. Use lo siento (mucho) when expressing sympathy or condolences. Lo siento = I feel it (sincere).

Incorrect: Yo siento mucho. — I'm very sorry.

Correct: Lo siento mucho. — I'm very sorry.

Don't drop the lo. Lo siento literally is 'I feel it' (lo = it / the situation). Yo siento mucho would mean 'I feel a lot' (about something unspecified), not 'I'm very sorry'.

Choosing the Right Sorry

When to Use Each

Lo siento = genuine apology or sympathy (deeper). Perdón = minor accidents, bumping, brief interruption. Disculpa / disculpe = getting attention, similar to perdón. Mil disculpas = formal, strong apology. Lo lamento = formal regret. Mis condolencias = for a death only.

Lo siento por lo que hice. (real apology): I'm sorry for what I did.
Perdón. (bumping): Sorry / pardon.
Disculpe, ¿tiene cambio? (asking): Excuse me, do you have change?
Mil disculpas por el retraso. (formal): A thousand pardons for the delay.
Lo siento mucho por tu mamá. (sympathy): I'm so sorry about your mom.

Using lo siento for trivial things sounds overdramatic. Using perdón for serious apology / sympathy sounds dismissive. Match the weight.

How to Say Sorry in Spanish FAQs

How do you say sorry in Spanish?: It depends. Lo siento for sincere apology or sympathy. Perdón / perdona / perdone for minor accidents or brief interruptions. Disculpa / disculpe for getting attention or small inconveniences.
What's the difference between lo siento and perdón?: Lo siento = genuine apology or sympathy (I feel it). Perdón = excuse me / pardon, for minor things, bumping, slipping. Lo siento has more emotional weight; perdón is for trivial inconveniences.
What's the difference between perdón and disculpa?: Both mean excuse me / pardon, very similar. Disculpa / disculpe is slightly more formal and commonly used to get attention (Disculpe, señor). Perdón is also fine for that. Largely interchangeable.
How do I apologize formally in Spanish?: Mil disculpas (a thousand pardons), Le pido disculpas (I apologize to you, formal), Lo lamento mucho (I deeply regret it), Acepte mis sinceras disculpas (accept my sincere apologies). Use usted forms.
How do I express condolences in Spanish?: Mis condolencias (my condolences, formal). Lo siento mucho (I'm so sorry). Lo siento por tu pérdida (sorry for your loss). Te acompaño en el sentimiento (I'm with you in your sorrow, very respectful).