How to Say I Am Sorry in Spanish
If you’d like to say “sorry” in Spanish, you would generally say “lo siento.” However, there are times when using “perdón” or “disculple” may be more appropriate. Think of “lo siento” as being more for things you feel very sorry about, while “perdón” is used when making a more ordinary apology and “disculpe” is for pretty trivial apologies, like not holding the door for someone you didn’t realize was behind you.
As with so many things in Spanish, the more you practice, the more natural the various words and expressions begin to feel. Leaning on “lo siento” as a catch-all approach is fine, but as you become more comfortable with the other variants of “sorry,” you’ll likely not need to think twice about which is best for any given situation.
Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you the language, not just the words. What makes it effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. It helps you get ready to handle situations with confidence.
Learn Spanish Words and Phrases
When you begin your language journey, there are some basic building blocks that are a great place to start. These are essential words and phrases such as who, what, when, where, why, yes, no, please, and more. Mastering these basics can put you on the path to having everyday conversations in Spanish. Here’s a more complete list of the basic words and phrases:
- Sí = Yes
- No = No
- ¿Quién? = Who?
- ¿Qué? = What?
- ¿Por qué? = Why?
- ¿Dónde? = Where?
- Hola = Hello
- Me gusta = I like
- No me gusta = I don’t like
- Adiós = Goodbye
- Por favor = Please
- Gracias = Thank you
- Lo siento = Sorry
- Salud = Bless you
To refine your pronunciation, you’ll need immediate feedback on your efforts. Feedback will guide you in making needed corrections. Rosetta Stone helps you dial in your pronunciation with our TruAccent™ speech-recognition engine. TruAccent compares your voice to native and non-native speakers—in real-time—so you get the feedback you need for the most accurate pronunciation. It’s also adjustable, which allows you to tweak your accent as needed. TruAccent is a powerful tool for helping you learn and speak the Spanish language.
After you have learned to pronounce basic words and short phrases, it’s a natural transition to move to the longer phrases that make up so much of everyday conversation. Rosetta Stone’s brief, 10-minute lessons are built in just this way—first teaching the basics, then tackling the longer phrases. This approach helps you acquire the skills to speak Spanish with confidence.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with Spanish whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app.
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation.
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
