All the Ways to Say “Sorry” in Italian - Diversi Modi per “Chiedere Scusa” in Italiano

Let’s Talk Italian With Aronne

Ciao ragazzi! Bentornati nel mio podcast! Nella puntata di oggi, vi insegnerò delle alternative alla parola “Scusa”. In italiano esistono diversi modi per esprimere le proprie scuse verso qualcuno per qualcosa che si è commesso. Tutte le alternative che sentirete nel corso di questa puntata ve le riporterò nella descrizione. Dateci un’occhiata!

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Hi guys! Welcome back to my podcast! In today’s episode, I’m going to teach you some alternatives to the word “Sorry”. In Italian, there are several ways to express an apology to someone for something they have done. All the expressions and examples you'll hear during this episode are in the description, take a look! Have a good time listening.

There are various ways to apologize, and they depend on many factors: from the context, from what we have done and towards those who have done it. Let’s start with some expressions that are always a guarantee!

-Mi dispiace (I’m sorry)

-Perdonami (Forgive me)

-Ti chiedo perdono (I ask your forgiveness)

These are actually perfect for small things that are not too serious (for example if you break a glass at a friend’s house), and for something slightly more serious (for example, if you forgot to warn that you are late for an appointment).

Another alternative, in case you did something that gave unpleasant results, is:

- “Non avrei dovuto farlo” (I shouldn’t have done that)

But be careful, because it could create a boomerang effect, instead of what you hoped for! In fact, many Italians could answer: “Then you should have thought better of it!”. However, if you have a reasonable person in front of you, they will certainly appreciate your sincere apologies.

- “È tutta colpa mia” (It’s all my fault)

This expression serves not only to apologize, but also to demonstrate maturity: in fact it makes the other person understand that you are aware of your mistakes, and you cannot blame anyone else. After all, recognizing that we were wrong is the first step in making up for it!

- “Ti garantisco / prometto che non si ripeterà” (I guarantee / promise you that it will never happen again)

This is another excellent expression to apologize, even combined with others already mentioned… the only problem is that it only works if you have a good reputation. In fact, if you have the reputation of not being able to keep promises, then it is better to not use it: no one would believe you anyway!

- “Riconosco di avere esagerato” (I recognize that I have exaggerated)

- “Mi rendo conto di aver agito/reagito male” (I recognize that I acted / reacted badly)

These are two other expressions that demonstrate maturity and awareness, and you can use them to apologize especially after doing or saying something that went beyond the limits.

- “Come posso rimediare?” (How can I fix it?)

Among all, this is the only expression that goes beyond the mere excuse. With this, literally, you not only recognize an error and ask to be forgiven, but you offer to actually do something to remedy what you did!

- “Sono mortificato/a / amareggiato/a per l’accaduto” (I am mortified / bitter about what happened) - Formal

These are very strong adjectives and they express how deeply saddened we are by what we have done.

- “Mi assumo tutte le responsabilità” (I take full responsibility) - Formal

This is a formal version of “it’s my fault”

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