Published June 26, 2026 • Updated April 6, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
📘 How to say sorry in French
Sorry in French is most commonly expressed with je suis désolé, but there are many other useful ways to apologize depending on the situation. From casual pardon and excuse-moi to more formal expressions like je suis navré and nous sommes au regret de, this list shows how to say sorry naturally in real-life French, with native audio for each example.
1. I’m so sorry
In French, the adverb tellement translates to both “so”.
Je suis encore en retard. Je suis tellement désolé!
I’m late again. I’m so sorry!
2. I’m really sorry
You can also use vraiment to mean “really” sorry.
Je suis vraiment désolé mais je ne peux pas venir.
I’m really sorry but I can’t come.
3. I’m sorry to
To express I’m sorry to, as in “I’m sorry to inform you”, use the following grammatical construction: Je suis désolé de + object pronoun + infinitive.
Nous sommes désolés de vous informer que Marc ne vient pas.
We’re sorry to inform you that Marc isn’t coming.
4. Sorry!
Another way to say sorry is simply “Pardon!”.
Ah, pardon! Je vous ai coupé la parole.
Sorry, I interrupted you.
5. Forgive me
The verb pardonner translates to “to forgive”. Hence, the expressions “pardonnez-moi” and “pardonne-moi” both translate to pardon me, forgive me and I’m sorry.
Pardonnez-moi. J’ai encore oublié.
I’m sorry. I forgot again.
6. Excuse me
Excuse me in French is excusez-moi (formal) and excuse-moi (informal).
Excuse-moi. Je n’ai pas compris.
Excuse me. I didn’t understand.
Excusez-moi. Où est la gare?
Excuse me. Where’s the train station?
7. To regret to
A formal way of saying sorry is être au regret de.
Nous sommes au regret d’annoncer que tous les vols sont suspendus.
We’re sorry to announce that all the flights are canceled.
8. Using the word “navré”
In French, désolé and navré as synonyms. However, navré is much more formal.
Je suis navré. J’ai fait une erreur.
I’m sorry. I made an error.
9. To feel sorry
To express feeling sorry, use the verb regretter.
Je regrette de ne pas avoir aidé.
I’m sorry for not helping.
10. I’m sorry for your loss
To express that you’re sorry for a loss, use the expression: “Toutes mes condoléances”.
Toutes mes condoléances. Votre mère va manquer à toute la communauté.
Sorry for your loss. Your mom will be missed by the entire community.
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