Hey, you’re human. You’re going to make mistakes. People are going to get hurt. It’s a part of life. But do you know what else is a part of life? Learning to say that you’re sorry for those mistakes. Apologizing is the first and most important step, not only in helping to fix the problem, but also helping or heal those you hurt. It shows the person or people you hurt that you understand their right to feel hurt by your words or actions and allows them to open the door to forgiveness.


It seems a little crazy, but scientists have shown how two these two little words can be so powerful that, once spoken, invokes the victim to empathy towards the offender, and that leads to forgiveness. Of course, saying sorry can’t allow you to go back and undo what’s been done, but it can help ease the pain and stress of what happens afterwards. Indeed, by giving up your pride and saying sorry adds value back to your relationships and gives hope for rebuilding them.


All of that is a wonderful thing in your mother tongue, but it can also be a wonderful thing when you learn to speak Arabic, because you never know. Maybe you’ll be living or traveling in one of the Arabic speaking countries and do something you’ll have to apologize for (Of course, we hope this never happens, but as we said, you’re only human and mistakes happen). So, how do you say sorry to someone in Arabic? That’s what today’s post is all about – helping you learn Arabic language words and phrases for apologizing in Arabic.

So here are our examples

EnglishTransliterationArabic
I’m sorry in Arabic ana asaf أنا آسف
I didn’t mean that in Arabic makans aṣdi مكنش قصدي
I won’t do it again in Arabic mes haʿmel kedah tani مش هعمل كده تاني
I’m sorry for being selfish in Arabic ana asef enni kont anani أنا آسف إني كنت أناني
I apologize for being mean to you in Arabic ana asef enni kont alil el-zu maʿāk أنا آسف إني كنت قليل الذوق معاك
I hope you forgive me in Arabic atmanna ennak tesameḥni أتمنى إنك تسامحني
I take full responsibility in Arabic ana el-masʾul أنا المسئول
I would like to apologize in Arabic ana ʿayez ʾaʿtazer أنا عايز أعتذر
I’ll make sure not to make this mistake again in Arabic hahawel maglats el-galtah di tani هحاول مغلطش الغلطة دي تاني
I sincerely apologize in Arabic baʿtezer begadd بعتذر بجد
I shouldn’t have done it in Arabic makans el-mafrud ʾaʿmel kedah مكنش المفروض أعمل كدة
Sorry for giving your money back late in Arabic asef enni raggaʿt felusak metʾahhar آسف إني رجعت فلوسك متأخر
Please don’t be mad at me in Arabic law samaht matezʿals menni لو سمحت متزعلش مني
Sorry I’m late in Arabic asef ʾenni etʾahhart ʿaleik اسف إني اتأخرت عليك
It’s my fault in Arabic di galteti دي غلطتي


So, those are the many ways that you can say I’m sorry in Arabic. Again, we hope you never have to use them, but there good to know just in case.


We know one thing you’ll never have to be sorry about and that’s downloading the Kaleela Arabic learning app to your iOS or Android mobile device. And we’ll never apologize for being the best way to learn Arabic. It’s part of what makes us the leader of all Arabic language learning apps out there.