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Manners will take you as far in German culture and relationships as they do in America. Finding the right way to say “excuse me” in German can be as important to appearing polite as choosing the right level of formality to say “you” in German—it’s all about context.
If you’re not sure which one is appropriate, you can always use the most common way to say “excuse me” in German, which is Entschuldigung. But to navigate all social situations smoothly, you’ll need other formal and informal phrases for “excuse me” in German.
Politely say ‘excuse me’ in German
A well-formed and polite version of how to say “excuse me” in German can go a long way in mending a relationship or atoning for your mistake. So, how do you say excuse me in German? When you do something very wrong or need to excuse yourself in a professional setting, think of one of the phrases in the German language below:
| German Phrase | English Translation |
| Bitte entschuldigen Sie mein Verhalten. | Please excuse my behavior. |
| Entschuldigen Sie bitte. | Please excuse me. |
| Entschuldigen Sie die Störung. | Sorry for the disturbance. |
| Entschuldigen Sie vielmals. | Many apologies. |
| Es tut mir leid. | I’m sorry./It does me sorrow. |
| Es war ein Fehler meinerseits. | It was a mistake on my part. |
| Ich bedaure das zutiefst. | I deeply regret that. |
| Ich bitte um Entschuldigung. | I ask for your pardon. |
| Ich hoffe, ich störe Sie nicht. | I hope I’m not disturbing you. |
| Ich hoffe, Sie können mir verzeihen. | I hope you can forgive me. |
| Ich war im Unrecht. | I was in the wrong. |
| Ich wollte Sie nicht unterbrechen. | I didn’t mean to interrupt. |
| Verzeihen Sie die Unterbrechung. | Pardon |
| Verzeihen Sie mir. | Forgive me. |
| Verzeihung, darf ich etwas fragen? | Pardon me, may I ask something? |
If you’d like some pronunciation tips, check out the sound clips of some of the phrases above here:
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte. = Please excuse me.
- Es tut mir leid. = I’m sorry.
Casual ways to say ‘excuse me’ in German
Sometimes a mistake isn’t all that serious and doesn’t need a formal, drawn-out “excuse me” in German in order to set things right. Try out one of these German phrases next time you forget your manners or don’t remember how to say “thank you” in German:
| German Phrase | English Translation |
| ’tschuldigung! | ‘Scuse me! |
| Das war keine Absicht. | I didn’t mean to. |
| Entschuldigungen | apologies |
| Ey, war nicht böse gemeint. | Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. |
| Ich hab Mist gebaut. | I screwed up. |
| Ich hab’s echt verkackt. | I really messed up. |
| Ich wollte dich nicht verletzen. | I didn’t mean to hurt you. |
| Kannst du mir verzeihen? | Can you forgive me? |
| Sorry, nochmal. | Sorry, again. |
| Sorry! | Sorry! |
| Tut mir echt leid. | I’m really sorry. |
| Ups, mein Fehler! | Oops, my bad! |
| War nicht böse gemeint. | Didn’t mean it in a bad way. |
| War nicht extra. | Wasn’t on purpose |
| War total daneben. | That was totally out of line. |
Be able to apologize in any German dialect
Depending on your definition, there are hundreds of German dialects throughout Germany alone, not to mention the neighboring German-speaking countries. If you find yourself needing to say “sorry” in German dialects, reach for one of the words below:
| German Phrase | English Translation | Region |
| ’tschuldschi | sorry | Berlin, Brandenburg |
| schullijung | excuse me | Cologne, Rheinland |
| schullersche | excuse me | Hesse, Frankfurt |
| entschuldigense | sorry | Bavaria |
| entschuld’se | sorry | Northern Germany |
Though hopefully you’ll never make a mistake in your life for which you’ll need to apologize, now you’re prepared for when the inevitable error makes landfall! Preparing you for the best and toughest situations you’ll face in a new language is how Rosetta Stone works. Get practical language knowledge and be ready for whatever life has to throw at you while hitting your learning goals!
